Would you like to become a volunteer Exhibition Guide at Exeter’s award-winning museum

Following the runaway success of the Grayson Perry: Aspects of Myself Exhibition we are looking to expand our current team to support the upcoming exhibitions.

Becoming a Volunteer Exhibition Guide at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) is an exciting and rewarding opportunity. You’ll gain valuable skills for your CV, meet new people, and boost your wellbeing — all while bringing world‑class exhibitions to life. As an Exhibition Guide, you’ll help visitors feel welcome, spark conversations about art and culture, support exhibition activities, and play a key role in creating an unforgettable experience for everyone who walks through our doors.

We’re kicking off with Colour (23 May–6 September) — a vibrant summer programme perfect for anyone residing in Devon over the summer months. Then we launch straight into Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi (3 October–21 February), an exciting opportunity for students returning to Exeter for university or college, as well as Devon residents ready to dive into a longer-term creative journey.

You will dive into the hands‑on, real‑world skills you need. From keeping loan objects safe through the Government Indemnity Scheme to mastering ticketing processes, you’ll learn how to keep everything running smoothly.

And because no two days in a gallery are ever the same, we’ll also equip you to handle those unexpected moments—whether it’s managing unacceptable behaviour, dealing with food and drink in the galleries, or supporting an evacuation.

You

As a volunteer Exhibition Guide, you'll welcome visitors and assist with their inquiries. It is anticipated there will be variety of questions and reactions that people will have about the content of the material, and we will train you to assist them. There will also be an opportunity to meet the curator for each exhibition. Colour - RAMM's Natural Science curator, Holly Morgenroth.   Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi – RAMM’s Contemporary Art curator, Lara Goodband.

Eligibility

• Open to anyone 18 years and over.
• 15 to 17 year olds: We have 4 places open to you from Sat 18 July to Sun 30 Aug – to participate you must be available to attend at least 6 shifts in total, which are 3 hours in length.
• Returning and new students to Exeter are welcome to apply now to start this autumn with Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi.  Please ensure on you application you state you wish to be considered for an autumn start.
• If you are coming home to Devon for the summer holidays please apply now.
• If you are leaving Devon at the end of this academic year (June/July 2026) and are not returning in the autumn, please do not apply. Unfortunately, there will not be enough time to train you and for you to make a meaningful contribution before you depart.
  

Requirements

• Good communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Smart appearance and some customer service experience.
• A commitment to continued learning, enabling you to deepen your knowledge of the exhibition’s content throughout your time as an exhibition guide.
• Reliability and good timekeeping.
• Comfort standing or moving around for periods of time, with provision being made for those that do need to sit on occasion.

Time Commitment

• Ideally a minimum of 3 hours weekly with time out for holidays and essential appointments.
  
  
• The current available shifts are Tuesdays to Saturdays, no shifts are available 2pm Friday afternoons or all day on Sundays.
  • Morning:     9.45am to 12.30pm  (2:45hr)
  • Mid:             11am to 2.30pm       (3:30hr)
  • Afternoon:   2pm to 5pm             (3hr)
    
• Each shift includes a 30-minute tea/lunch break
  
• The museum is closed on Mondays and bank holidays.
• As each exhibition closes you will be invited to volunteer with the next exhibition, until you resign or indicate your planned leaving date.

Training

Online and in-person training sessions starting in mid-May for Colour and late September for Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi.

The required training will include:

• 90-minute self-led e-learning induction at home including safeguarding specific to the museum
• 45 to 60 minute virtual walkthrough of the exhibition at home; and/or
• 75-minute Orientation tour and role specific training in the museum
• A 30 to 45 minute in-person exhibition tour, which will include a guide to the artists and the works and a chance to ask questions. 

Application Deadlines

• Starting with Colour
Applications close 6pm, Wednesday 22 April with the expectation of meeting you during the first week of May

• For Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi
Initial application cut‑off: 6pm, Monday 20 July
Final deadline: 6pm, Monday 17 August

Please note: We reserve the right to close this opportunity early, so we encourage you to apply promptly.

We only accept on-line applications. If you require a reasonable adjustment or other assistance in the recruitment process, please contact the Volunteer Manager at 01392 265984 or ramm.volunteer@exeter.gov.uk.

We are committed to a safe recruitment process to help the organisation attract and appoint the right people for the role and responsibilities. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people, or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for the role, please contact the Volunteer Manager, details above. 

Colour

We live in a dazzling kaleidoscope of shades and hues. Colour is key to helping us make sense of the world, used to communicate by wildlife, plants and people alike. Colour is more than just something we see – it’s something we feel and sometimes even smell. It has the power to symbolise who we are and what we believe, and it is at the heart of some of our most enduring traditions.

This exhibition brings together over 150 objects spanning art, science, nature and cultural histories. It explores a spectacular world of colour – how we see it, how it’s made, how it’s used and how meaning can become attached to it. Artworks by Hokusai, Kandinsky, Bridget Riley and Andy Warhol are on display alongside examples of exquisitely crafted decorative ceramics. A diamante-studded Trinidadian carnival costume and Victorian mourning dress illustrate how colour can imbue clothing with cultural significance, while examples of pre-historic gold jewellery show the value of colour across millennia.

A family-friendly exhibition packed with vibrant objects, interactive displays and thought-provoking exhibits, this is a chance to see colour in all its glory – come and be surprised by the spectrum of possibilities!

Colour has been curated by Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery in partnership with Sheffield Museums; Tullie House, Carlisle; Gosport Museum & Art Gallery, Hampshire; and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, for the Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring (MAGNET), with Art Fund support and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

This exhibition has been made possible by the provision of Government Indemnity. RAMM would like to thank HM Government for providing Government Indemnity and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England for arranging the indemnity.

Information about accessibility is available on our Access page.