Museum of East Asian Art Gallery Volunteer

The Museum of East Asian Art is seeking friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to help create a welcoming and engaging experience for our Museum's visitors.

We are looking for individuals who are passionate about culture, conversation, and helping people feel comfortable exploring the museum. Whether you have previous experience in museums, customer-facing roles, or simply enjoy meeting people and sharing cultural experiences, we would love to hear from you.

About the Role

Gallery Volunteers play an important role in supporting the day-to-day visitor experience at the museum. Volunteers help create a warm and inclusive atmosphere, encouraging visitors to engage with the collection and feel confident exploring the space.

The role combines visitor welcome, informal engagement, and practical gallery support within a small and supportive team environment.

The Role of Volunteers

As a Gallery Volunteer, you may:

• Welcome visitors to the museum and help them feel comfortable in the space
• Engage visitors in informal conversation about exhibitions and objects
• Help maintain a calm, welcoming, and accessible gallery environment
• Provide basic information about exhibitions, facilities, and upcoming events
• (Optional) Support guided object discussions or cultural interpretation activities
• (Optional) Once trained, deliver tours of the galleries for Museum visitors

No specialist knowledge of East Asian art is required in the beginning, as we aim to provide training, support, and resources that will help you feel comfortable in the role.

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from people who:

• Enjoy interacting with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Are approachable, reliable, and enthusiastic
• Have an interest in museums, East Asian culture, heritage, or community engagement
• Are confident communicating with visitors in a warm and respectful way
• Can commit to volunteering regularly to help provide continuity for visitors and the Museum

Experience in museums, galleries, visitor services, education, hospitality, or community work is welcomed but by no means essential.

We are particularly keen to hear from individuals with connections to East and Southeast Asian communities, in line with the museum’s mission and collection.

The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday, so we welcome applications from people available on any of those days. 

What You’ll Gain

• Experience working within a museum and cultural setting
• Opportunities to develop communication and visitor engagement skills
• Insight into East and Southeast Asian art, culture, and heritage
• Use of our private library of books on East and Southeast Asia, as well as other opportunities to learn more about the collection
• Being part of a welcoming and collaborative volunteer community
• The chance to contribute to an inclusive and culturally enriching environment in Bath
• The opportunity to be trained to deliver guided tours to visitors of the Museum
• Access to the range of benefits open to MEAA volunteers, including social events, East Asian art workshops, and lots more

If you are interested in helping visitors connect with art, culture, and community in a thoughtful and welcoming space, we would be delighted to hear from you.