Being an intern at the Oriental Museum

A post by Erin Munro

Hi! My name is Erin and I’ve had the pleasure of being the Learning and Engagement Intern at the Oriental Museum for the last year. With my time here coming to an end I thought I’d share with you some of my experiences and what I’ve learnt whilst being part of this amazing team.

I kicked off the year shadowing and helping my predecessor in her final month as Intern, seeing first hand what was in store for me in my upcoming role. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous at first, it was something new and would have an impact on lots of lovely people! However, my supervisor Charlotte put me at ease, teaching me everything she knows and trusting me with many of her amazing programmes. I have a great lot to thank her for!

Wednesdays make up a huge part of my role as intern. I spend my morning with the Little Dragons, an under 5s group. Each week we learn about a museum object, do some craft activities taking inspiration from our collections then sing a song, read a book or play a game together. Of course they get most excited about snack time…

I then have lunch and go straight into Creative Age, our 60+ dementia friendly group. I have the pleasure of discussing museum objects more in-depth with this group then going on to make object inspired art. Recently we’ve done lino cutting, paper mâché and clay sculpting. Once again, snack time is a firm favourite however it’s a little more sophisticated in the afternoons, I’d call it more of a tea and coffee break! Just like Little Dragons, you get to know the group well, learn about their wants and needs and adapt your delivery to the group but also individuals themselves.

My role does not stop there, however. I work with community groups and organisations such as mental health charities, men’s breakfast groups, the WI, nurseries, care homes and many, many others. This is the extremely varied side of my job, activities include tours, object handling, performances and art. They come to the museum, but we also offer outreach, bringing the fun straight to them. I’ve met so many talented, kind and interesting people through working with these groups and learning about people and their stories, why they are part of these groups, their interests and hobbies has brought me so much joy, I can now truly see the importance of making heritage accessible to everyone. The positive feedback we receive from the groups makes all the work worth it.

Events! So many amazing events! I’d hope that someone reading this has had the opportunity to attend one of our large-scale faith and cultural events because they really are such an asset to this museum. In my time here I’ve helped plan and have celebrated Diwali, Lunar New Year, Holi and Eid al-Fitr and I’ve had a fantastic time doing it. The teamwork needed in the build up and on the day really is a testament to the staff at the museum, the continued success of the celebrations is something special and the food…my word the food! Faith societies and communities coming together with us to create inclusive events where anyone and everyone is welcome is just a joy to be a part of and I will never take the opportunities I have had to help with this for granted.

I must mention that I was trusted in helping build our Autism Friendly Family Activities because it is something I’m most proud of. This programme was a difficult one to get off the ground and, on some weeks, no one would attend. With help from our Infinity intern (which I was allowed to help recruit. A rare and invaluable opportunity) and other teams from different organisations it has began to flourish, word has spread and families are enjoying what we have to offer.

I could write for pages about all of the work I have done here, I’ve been taught me so much and I’ve helped with all sorts from a weekend archaeology group called DAX for 7-11 year olds, the Family Activities programme and digital display work for our temporary exhibition.

Along with Charlotte, I must thank the rest of my team too. I am inspired by all of them, their hard work, humour and their ability to have made me feel welcome from the second I stepped in the door.

Whilst I am so sad to be leaving all those I have met on this journey, I know I have taken more from this experience than I ever thought I would. I’ve connected with truly amazing people, and I wish all of those who follow me in this internship feel just as lucky and fulfilled as I do coming out of it.