Have you always been interested in arts and heritage but want to be more than a spectator? Why not start with volunteering as a docent in a museum? Two local museum docents share their experience.
Pauline Choe, 56, loves art and history and going to museums, so it was natural that she chose to be a docent (a guide, typically on a voluntary basis, in a museum, art gallery or zoo).
“Being a volunteer museum guide allows me to indulge in my three passions and also to give back. I can have my cake and eat it too,” she says.
With 15 years of experience under her belt, she currently volunteers at the National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and Peranakan Museum. She previously volunteered at the Singapore History Museum (now the National Museum of Singapore) and Singapore Art Museum.
Volunteering as a museum docent takes a whole lot of dedication and passion. Lien Wen Sze, AGE?, a Mandarin guide at ACM, reveals that candidates have to undergo a three-month training programme under the tutelage of experienced docents and take a final examination, a one-hour tour with accessors to decide if the candidate is qualified for the job.
Wen Sze says: “A good museum docent is exactly like a good tour guide – a story teller and a history teacher. And to do any job well, passion is the number one factor.”
Beyond feeding her passion for the arts, the ability to pass on knowledge of our national arts and heritage to the next generation also spurs Pauline. She recounts guiding a group of teenage students from Pathlight School a few years ago, whose thirst for knowledge left an indelible impression her and made her realise the impact of her volunteer work.
She say: “Philanthropy through volunteerism should be the way forward to building a #CityofGood.”
