Wool Ambassador
Are you a fan of wool, knitting and textiles? Do you get a kick out of sharing facts and encouraging people to try new skills? This may be the role for you! Lend a hand in our Field to Fashion exhibition at the Museum of Making and share the joy of this wonderful material!
This exhibition explores the journey of raw British fleece from sheep farming into fibre, showcasing how people create the clothes we cherish and may even take for granted. Thanks to British Wool, visitors can even touch all kinds of real fleece and explore how it’s spun! Deep dive into the history of local company John Smedley who have been crafting their knitwear in Derbyshire since 1784. Discover the ground breaking work by De Montfort University students, Derby college students, artists, designers and makers behind this incredible journey of wool – from field to fashion.
Time commitment
The Museum of Making is open from Tuesday to Sunday. We will work with you to accommodate your preferences and availability.
Location
The Museum of Making is open from Tuesday to Sunday. We hope you can give at least a couple of hours of your time to maximise your experience. Working with you to accommodate your preferences and availability.
Tasks
- Providing a welcoming and friendly face to visitors
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Engaging and conversing with visitors about wool, John Smedleys and textile manufacture
- Encouraging visitors to have a go with on gallery interactives, including weaving and wool stations
- Restocking material for on gallery interactives
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Signposting visitors to galleries, toilets or shops (or pointing out a friendly member of staff who can if you don’t know the answer!)
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Championing Derby Museums and being an ambassador for the aims and values of the Museum of Making
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Telling stories and listening to stories from visitors
This role may be for you if you are:
- You enjoy talking and engaging with the general public
- Are passionate about wool, textiles and clothing design
- You are passionate about Derby Museums and would enjoy championing our collections, values and aims
- You are a friendly and enthusiastic individual
- You are interested in heritage and historic collections
- You have a thirst for learning new things
This role can be combined with:
- public programming activities such as Tours or Lifelong learning activities
- gallery making
- temporary exhibition support
Training:
We will provide you with training to ensure you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. Get an introduction to the spaces, people and the role by attending our site volunteer introductions.
Proposed dates for these are shared in the "Getting Started" section. Click on the link to browse available times or get in touch to explore alternatives.
With you in mind:
Count on our Visitor Experience Assistant Team and Site Managers to be your point of contact once in place.
Hope, the Coproduction Volunteer Coordinator, manage your overall volunteering experience, supporting you with Wellness Action Plans and/or Goal Setting Plans to discuss any physical, mental health or vocational needs or goals.
Volunteering can help you to gain new skills, boost your confidence, make new friends, and feel connected to a community of people. It is rewarding to be part of a network of people supporting a charity by creating wonderful things and experiences together. We'll provide you with hot drinks, occasional biscuits, and reasonable travel expenses.
