Volunteer Role Description: Ashmolean Cast Gallery Tour Guide

About Cast Gallery Tours

The Ashmolean Cast Gallery is one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved collections of casts of Greek and Roman sculpture in Britain. Free, introductory tours of the Gallery, including the lower ground floor (which houses the teaching collection), are offered every Thursday and Saturday at 2 pm.

·  Volunteers are trained to deliver tours focussing on the history of the collection and on some of the many interesting objects on display.

·  Tours last approximately 30 minutes and are run on a drop-in basis.

·  Tours are advertised in the Museum’s events listings and on the day.

·  Tours are aimed at the adult general public, and numbers are limited.

·  Volunteers always work in pairs to deliver tours.

·  Volunteers will need to arrive early to ensure that they are ready to start on time.

·  The team is coordinated by the Joint Museums Volunteer Manager, with the support of Cast Gallery staff.

Commitment

Volunteers are recruited and trained for this role periodically. Once they have joined the team, they can expect to deliver tours, on average, once or twice a month – although the rota is flexible.

About Ashmolean Cast Gallery Tour Guides

·  Enthusiasm for the collections is more important than expertise, as we can provide you with all of the information you need. However, some prior knowledge of Classics is welcome and always useful.

·  You will enjoy and be confident in presenting to a diverse audience and in managing groups of people in a museum setting. We will support you in this as you get started.

·  This role requires moving through the Cast Gallery (including down a flight of stairs) where objects are on open display. You will need to be physically fit and spatially aware.

Training

Prior to joining the team, volunteers will attend a training course*, which will familiarise them with the background and layout of the Gallery, the history of selected objects, and the practicalities of leading tours. The course is designed to build knowledge and confidence step by step.

*Volunteers will become fully active guides by mutual agreement with staff following this training, although staff will continue to support volunteers as they deliver their first public tours.

Why you might enjoy this role

The opportunity to:

·  join a friendly, enthusiastic, supportive team of volunteers

·  develop and improve presentation and communication skills

·  interact with the general public and inspire visitors

·  share your passion for, and improve your knowledge of, the collections

·  contribute to the Museum’s public education and accessibility remit

·  access the Cast Gallery’s lower ground floor, which is not otherwise open to the public