WAM is growing its capacity to deliver educational activities for the public by recruiting and training docents (voluntary museum guides). Prospective docents will attend an introductory course of six public lectures on African Art on Tuesday evenings, and six Saturday morning workshops. The lectures and workshops will be presented by leading authorities in their fields.
High school graduates, university students, artists and art enthusiasts who are interested in African arts, enjoy engaging with people of all ages, are good communicators, are motivated and have free time to volunteer are all encouraged to contact the museum for more information. The course will offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with others who share an interest in art and entry into a stimulating volunteering experience. School leavers and students can gain work experience to include in their CVs.
Leading African art academics will present an exciting and informative introduction to the Arts of Africa in the lectures series. They will draw extensively on the WAM collection. Fascinating issues of value, authorship, authenticity and meaning in historical and contemporary African art practice will be explored through discussion of particular examples. Course participants will be able to examine artworks from WAM’s collection while learning about the contexts within which they were made and used. This course is also open to members of the public who are interested in the subject but who don’t want to become museum docents.
The Saturday morning practical workshops will introduce participants to the skills for leading informative and enjoyable experiences in the museum for diverse audiences. Docents (voluntary museum guides) are the catalyst for learning in a museum and they are vital in the overall experience for visitors. Docents need to engage diverse audiences in creative ways that stimulate curiosity, imagination and participation so that visitors to the museum leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the exhibitions.
The cost for the course is R1 000 (R700 for students/pensioners). Individuals may request a fee waiver through a letter of motivation.
Those who are interested in the course can contact Leigh Blanckenberg, Education Curator.
Email:
leigh.blanckenberg@wits.ac.za. Tel. (011) 717 1378
A docent interacting with visitors at WAM
