31 May 2022
National Volunteers’ Week provides a great opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the huge contribution that all our volunteers make to Venture Arts.
We currently have a team of around 30 volunteers, and during a normal year, we work with an average of 100! Several come for career development experience, whilst others volunteer to have fun, increase wellbeing and give something back to their community. Some volunteer with us for the 10 week minimum commitment and others stay for much longer!
In addition, our volunteer Board Members bring their professional skills and experience to help steer the organisation.
Venture Arts Volunteer Coordinator, Laura Nathan:
"I enjoy my job as Venture Arts textiles facilitator & volunteer coordinator, whilst being a practicing artist too. I was a volunteer for VA back in 2003 when I was a @manmetuni embroidery degree student keen on socially inclusive art, and it helped build my skills."
Meet some of our volunteers:
Current:
Textile designer Kirsty started volunteering for Venture Arts last year and it's her first volunteering role:
"I find it very rewarding and would recommend it 100%. It’s about building trust and nice relationships. I really enjoyed working with Quinza (pictured) and sharing with her how to turn her hand-drawn artwork into digital designs - to then create a pattern repeat for fabric. More generally, I like seeing the varied work that the artists do and seeing their styles developing."Chartered Accountant Ali has volunteered for Venture Arts for about two years. After completing an Art Foundation course, she wanted to do something 'arty' as a volunteer.
"I get a lot from contributing and helping people, and it’s informed my approach to my own art. I enjoy all the little moments that make you feel part of it and connected to the artists. It’s a great feeling to have made them feel important - because they ARE."Louie has volunteered for us for roughly four years.
"I wanted to transfer my art skills (I studied Fine Art at Uni) to working with people with disabilities. I’ve been doing some focused work with Josh (pictured) and have really enjoyed collaborating and helping him to get the most out of his art. I’d definitely recommend volunteering here, especially if you have a creative mindset and would like to offer your artistic skills."Ayane wanted to work with young people in a creative way.
"I really like how Venture Arts allows young artists to express themselves with a lot of freedom. I’ve met lots of great people and learned a lot from all the young artists and their passions, working in ways I wouldn’t normally get the chance to. It’s great to see them pursue their interests and experiment."Stef started volunteering for Venture Arts about three months ago. Currently, she's working with Terry (pictured) and discovering the interests that inspire his work.
"I have enjoyed building a rapport with Terry (who has a cracking sense of humour!) and seeing how much he enjoys coming to Venture Arts and doing his work. Whilst I’m an artist with an interest in painting, it’s been interesting to go around the studio and see the artists using different mediums – like projection mapping, which blew my mind! It’s inspiring."Stef has an exhibition this month. You can view her work at https://buff.ly/3Ne5x1W
Past:
Grace, a professional ceramicist and designer, was a Venture Arts volunteer back in 2016 as a final year student at Manchester Metropolitan University.
"Venture Arts was an enriching place to broaden my knowledge of autism, working alongside creative participants and experiencing how they explored their personalities through clay...It gave me an insight into various methods of providing workshops."
Want to find out more?
To find out more about volunteering opportunities with Venture Arts, please get in touch with Laura Nathan by email: laura@venturearts.org or by telephone: 0161 232 1223.
