Courtauld

Volunteers

No minimum hours, no minimum skills

 

Interested in joining our volunteer community? Sign up on https://timecounts.app/courtauldvolunteers


The volunteer-led digitisation of our Conway and Kersting photographic collections is The Courtauld’s largest and most diverse public inclusion project to date.

Our story begins on our first open day in 2017. Expecting no more than a handful of potential volunteers, we prepared ourselves with a packet of biscuits and a small tray of tea cups. Over the course of that day over 154 potential volunteers attended; a queue forming down Strand towards Waterloo Bridge, waiting for The Courtauld to open its doors.

From that moment our greatest risk of not being able to recruit enough volunteers to complete the accessioning, photographing and cataloguing of the Conway Library diminished. Strengthened with an active programme of outreach and an ethos of “no minimum hours, no minimum skills” we have never found ourselves short of applicants. On many occasions, we placed recruitment on hold to induct a waiting list of those wishing to join.

 

Our values

 

Volunteering at The Courtauld:

  • Celebrates the individual as part of a nurturing and supportive community.
  • Amplifies volunteers' voices, and encourages reflection, self-expression and the sharing of ideas.
  • Fosters strong, mutually supportive relationships created in an environment which is accepting, safe, and intellectually stimulating.

To achieve this we:

  • Recruit, train and support the most diverse volunteer community we can.
  • Inspire our volunteers to flourish, with equality, mutual respect and generosity of spirit.
  • Cherish our volunteers’ creativity, curiosity and passion for learning.
  • Underline how our volunteers are making a positive and lasting contribution to the Courtauld, and to culture in general.


Statistics at launch (March 2023)

We have signed up 2,010 volunteers (against an end-of-project target given to the NHLF back in 2016 of 200). Our active group of those who volunteer frequently remains at over 1,000.

Since the start of the project, our volunteers have donated 46,465 hours (the equivalent of 26 working years).

Our top three volunteers have each donated between 950 and 1400 hours.

Our volunteers range in age from 18 to 86.

All our on-site volunteers have been trained to be museum-standard photographers, transcribers and cataloguers. 

Over 35% of our volunteers have never heard of The Courtauld before. We publicise volunteering as an opportunity to learn digital skills, work with outstanding photographic equipment, and join a community aligned with the arts and learning. In many instances, volunteers have been recruited through visits to educational charities, housing associations, and community centres, and through partnerships with organisations running their own personal development, work and skills programmes.

There are no minimum requirements in terms of time or skills, and we have never turned anyone away. If volunteers don’t know how to do something, we teach them and back this up with meticulously well-rehearsed instructions. We also encourage peer-to-peer support.

A further 12,189 remote volunteers are currently participating online via https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/courtaulddigital/world-architecture-unlocked.


Inclusion and recruitment

We offer volunteering opportunities to anyone over 18.

Since 2017 we have exceeded all NHLF end-of-project targets for diversity: 22% of volunteers describe their ethnicity as Black, Asian, Mixed or other ethnic groups other than white. One in five volunteers have a disability or long-term health condition and a further 11% have caring responsibilities.

Organisations with whom we have worked to recruit volunteers include:

Activities beyond digitisation

Our volunteers have written 730 biographies of photographers whose work appears in our photographic collections. From these, 173 new Wikipedia pages have been created or edited.

47 undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral work experience opportunities have been offered so far, lasting from one week to three months. In December 2021 we won the Gold Standard Host award offered by Oxford University in recognition of the support we gave to their students and of the quality of the internship experiences we have provided and maintained.

Weekly corporate volunteering sessions have welcomed teams from Willis Towers Watson, Mace, Cirium, LexisNexis, Ashurst, Boden, Sidley Austin, Marsh & McLennan, Tideway, Autotrader, the Bank of England and Facebook.

We hosted students from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama to perform their final-year compositions based on works in the collection. https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/gallery-music-new-compositions-from-guildhall/.

We invited the public to participate in six hackathons with titles such as Correlations and Links, Tagging and Keywords, Libraries, Collecting Stories, and Transcribing and Engaging Communities. Through the hackathons, we explored strategies for cataloguing images and covered themes such as storytelling, keywording, retrieval, comparison, transcription and the significance of the physical library in a postdigital culture.

Since September 2021 we have hosted four full-time 6-month paid internships in metadata, digital storytelling, photographic conservation and copyright.

Three of our interns are former volunteers, and two former volunteers have worked for the project as staff.

Digitising this collection makes me feel as if I am traveling around the world when looking at the beautiful black and white photographs. And, perhaps, I would be the first person to stumble upon some of these. . . who knows?

✻

Every time I begin my shift and enter the archives I feel like I’m entering the past, exploring and looking for treasures which I do frequently come across and then the child in me appears with this enormous grin on my face. It’s reintroduced me back into the world of history and architecture that I admire and love, I feel extremely privileged to be a Courtauld Digitisation Volunteer and I know as we all do that our efforts are immensely appreciated.

✻

I Just wanted to say THANK YOU for the opportunity. I have loads of arty friends, and now when we are out having a get-together, I now say to them that I volunteer at the Courtauld. They look at me and say What The HELL? How did you do that? So thanks!

 

Our heartfelt thanks go to our volunteer community:

Aayushi G, Abi H, Abigail B, Abilene L, Adalea H, Adrian D, Adriana M, Agathe C, Agnes G, Agnese R, Agnese S, Aidan G, Aiden C, Aine L, Aitana J, Alan P, Alan W, Alara C, Alberto A, Alberto DB, Aleksander J, Alessandra B, Alessandra M, Alessandra R, Alessandro B, Alessandro T, Alex B, Alex L, Alexander B, Alexandra B, Alexandra D, Alexandra W, Alexia R, Alexis H, Alia Y, Alice N, Alice O, Alice W, Aliki C, Alina A, Alisa M, Alison A, Alison E, Alison M, Alison S, Alla S, Allan H, Allysia D, Almas B, Aly H, Amal A, Amanda D, Amanda R, Amanda R, Amanda N, Amanda P, Amatullah B, Amaya V, Amber A, Amelia T, Amy H, Amy K, Amy T, Ana C, Analia P, Anastasis V, Anastasiya T, Anatashia S, Andi W, Andrea D, Andrew B, Andrew B, Andrew M, Andrew S, Ang L, Angela C, Angela F, Angela Q, Angela W, Angela Y, Angharad C, Anida R, Aniela R, Anita B, Anja Q, Anja W, Ann J, Ann Z, Anna C, Anna C, Anna D, Anna H, Anna M, Anna N, Anna R, Anna S, Anna T, Anna-Lisa D, Annabella L, Anne H, Anne-Marie B, Annie S, Annie S, Annie W, Anqi L, Antanas M, Anthony B, Anthony C, Antonio M, Arthur D, Arthur W, Arun M, Asad I, Asena S, Asha S, Asha T, Ashlea H, Ashleigh C, Aslam H, Atikah C, Aurora H, Aurora W, Baixue S, Barbara R, Barbara S, Beatrice B, Beatrice S, Beatrice S, Béatrice N, Beatriz V, Becca M, Belen S, Belinda Q, Ben B, Bernice L, Beth F, Beverley C, Beverley N, Bianca R, Bill B, Bill F, Brenda B, Brian G, Bridget A, Cailean C, Cairui H, Caitlin A, Camelia C, Cameron A, Camilla D, Camilla T, Candela D, Carlotta M, Carlotta M, Carmen D, Carol B, Carole N, Carolin K, Caroline C, Caroline C, Caroline E, Caroline K, Carolyn R, Catalina C, Catarina C, Catherine D, Catherine E, Catherine J, Catherine O, Catherine R, Celia C, Celine D, Céline R, Chae Heon S, Chantelle K, Charlee K, Charles C, Charlotte A, Charlotte I, Charlotte R, Charmaine W, Cherry X, Chi-Hsuan H, Chiara F, Chiara Z, Chloe C, Chloe F, Chloe G, Chloe W, Chloé D, Chong F, Chris E, Chris G, Chris R, Christiana N, Christie L, Christine G, Christine R, Christine W, Christopher B, Christopher N, Christopher W, Christopher B, Chrystal K, Citlalli E, Claire D, Clara B, Clara S, Clara Che Wei P, Clare M, Clare M, Clarissa L, Claudia C, Claudia N, Claudia S, Codie T, Colin H, Constance K, Corinna S, Corrina S, Cristina B, Cristina R, Crystal S, Cynthia A, Cynthia S, Daisy C, Dale S, Dana M, Dana S, Danae G, Daniel B, Daniel W, Daniela M, Daniella L, Danielle S, Daphne Y, Daria N, Darren B, David B, David C, David F, David G, David W, Debora S, Deborah W, Denis K, Denise G, Denise L, Denise P, Deniz D, Derek H, Desiree M, Devina D, Diana D, Diana J, Diana W, Diane J, Diane M, Diego J, Dmitry P, Domenico P, Domenico S, Dominic T, Dominika C, Dora W, Doris I, Dorothy L, Douglas P, Dovile A, Duncan T, Duxiaole Z, Ed C, Eddie C, Edward D, Edward J, Edward K, Eileen W, Ekaterina M, Ekaterina Z, Elaine M, Elaine S, Elaine S, Elaine T, Elaine T, Eleanor A, Eleanor C, Elena G, Elena V, Elenore Y, Eleonora F, Elinor P, Elisabeth S, Elizabeth A, Elizabeth M, Ella H, Ella H, Ella J, Ella T, Elle D, Ellen P, Ellen W, Ellen W, Ellie M, Ellie P, Ellie W, Ellis K, Eloise F, Elrica D, Elysia L, Emer O, Emily L, Emily M, Emily R, Emily S, Emily S, Emma A, Emma B, Emma B, Emma B, Emma B, Emma B, Emma E, Emma K, Emma N, Emma T, Emma W, Eric D, Erin M, Erva A, Esmée B, Esmee S, Esther C, Esther H, Esther M, Esther K, Eun Jae K, Eva K, Eve D, Evelyn S, Evie M, Fabienne H, Fabienne M, Fabiola G, Faithe Y, Fanxuan F, Farida E, Federica M, Federico G, Ferhat U, Fernanda V, Filippo P, Finn A, Fiona H, Fiona I, Fiona R, Flora B, Fran A, Francesca H, Francesca N, Francesca V, Francesca V, Frank M, Freya C, Gabriella G, Gabrielle M, Gaia G, Gaye O, Geoffrey H, George A, Georgia S, Georgina R, Geraldine C, Gerard F, Gerardo M, Gerry D, Gexuan S, Gigi L, Gill S, Gillian E, Giovanna M, Giulia A, Giuseppina M, Gloria Q, Godelieve D, Golnar T, Grace A, Grace B, Grace Q, Grant S, Guanghui Z, Guy W, Hamish H, Hanna K, Hannah B, Hannah H, Hannah P, Hannah S, Hannah T, Hannah W, Hannuri L, Hanyu Z, Haoran J, Harriet C, Harriet E, Harriet P, Harrison J, Harry A, Harry B, Haruka I, Harvey S, Hatty T, Hayley S, Heather H, Heeky K, Heidi V, Helen H, Helen K, Helen M, Helen H, Helena V, Hermione W, Hester H, Hester T, Hestia W, Hewei Z, Himarni B, Hlib V, Holly L, Holly R, Holly S, Holly Y, Honor S, Hortense C, Howard H, Hugh E, Ian C, Ian M, Ibrahim I, Ieva W, Igor P, Ilaria T, Imogen D, Imogen G, Imogen P, Indi S, India P, India P, Ines F, Inga R, Ingrid P, Irene M, Irma D, Isabel E, Isabella C, Isabelle Z, Isha V, Iva M, Izzi R, Izzy W, Jacalyn L, Jacintha C, Jack L, Jackie K, Jacob A, Jacqueline J, Jake B, Jake B, James M, Jan P, Janan F, Jane B, Jane M, Janet C, Janet M, Janice F, Jean W, Jeanie K, Jemma E, Jen S, Jenefa H, Jenna P, Jennian G, Jennifer B, Jennifer I, Jennifer L, Jennifer S, Jennifer T, Jessica K, Jessica M, Jessica M, Jiahui M, Jiajia W, Jiayi L, Jiayi Z, Jiaying S, Jiazhen W, Jill G, Jim S, Jina H, Jingjing W, Jo Yi H, Joanna F, Joanna H, Joanne C, Jocelyn K, Johanna H, John B, John H, John R, John S, Jonathan G, Jose Manuel L, Joseph K, Josephine L, Jud H, Jude A, Judy F, Julia B, Julia P, Julia S, Juliana E, Julie B, Julie W, Julie W, Juliet W, Juliette M, Julija S, Jun Hui L, Junko N, Justine S, Kaitlyn B, Kamolros W, Kandice M, Karan S, Karen H, Karolina S, Kat G, Kate A, Kate B, Kate M, Katerina K, Katerina S, Katerina V, Katey R, Kathleen D, Kathleen L, Kathryn B, Kathryn D, Kathryn M, Kathy M, Kathy S, Kathy V, Katie G, Katie M, Katie M, Katie W, Katie W, Kay B, Keehl Q, Keelin W, Kenneth W, Kiera Y, Kim H, Kirstin H, Kitty P, Konstantina V, Kowsar M, Kristen B, Kristiāna R, Kristin L, Kristina P, Kylie B, Kylie B, Kym T, Lacey M, Lara D, Lara L, Laura H, Laura I, Laura L, Laura M, Laura M, Laura R, Laura S, Lauren W, Léa S, Leah J, Lennard P, Leonora M, Les F, Leslee F, Leyi L, Li-Xuan T, Lia D, Liam L, Liberty K, Lidia W, Lin L, Lina D, Linda W, Lindsay A, Lindsay B, Lis H, Lisa B, Lizzie B, Loïc D, Lori L, Lorna H, Lorraine S, Louise G, Louise R, Lowri W, Lucas G, Lucia B, Lucie-Hannah G, Lucinda M, Lucy A, Lucy B, Lucy M, Lucy S, Lucy W, Luis C, Luisa E, Luke H, Luke S, Luke W, Luna S, Lydia B, Lydia L, Lynn A, Maddie K, Madelaine L, Madeline D, Madelyne E, Magdalena R, Maggie K, Maggie L, Maggie X, Mair L, Maisie B, Malcolm M, Manuela G, Mar M, Marcela M, Margaret S, Margaret W, Margarita Z, Margherita D, Marguerite T, Maria C, Maria L, Maria M, Maria M, Maria S, Maria T, Maria Christina A, Marian G, Mariana S, Mariangela D, Marick H, Maricruz V, Marie M, Marieta G, Marika B, Marina C, Marina L, Mark D, Mark D, Mark L, Marta G, Marta K, Márthon M, Martina F, Martina M, Martine A, Mary C, Massimo B, Massoumeh A, Matilda B, Matilda W, Matthew H, Matthew P, Mattie M, Mavis L, Maximilian H, Meera Menon P, Megan C, Megan S, Megan S, Meghan E, Meghan V, Melanie V, Melinda Z, Melissa D, Melissa R, Mercedes B, Meredith L, Mia G, Mia P, Michael H, Michael M, Michael P, Michael T, Michaela M, Mike N, Milena D, Min L, Mirna M, Mishaal R, Mohammed C, Mohua K, Monica-Andreea O, Monna M, Morana N, Mridula G, Mrinalini S, Muny M, Nadia L, Nadja H, Nadya O, Nalini T, Nano Q, Naomi J, Naomi S, Nashir M, Natalia L, Natalia S, Natalie B, Natalya F, Natasha A, Natthida S, Nazli A, Nello P, Ngo Chun T, Nia B, Nia T, Niamh G, Niamh O, Niamh T, Nick B, Nick D, Nicola L, Nicole G, Nicole H, Nimco H, Niya R, Nobuko H, Norman B, Norman H, Nuala B, Octavia T, Oliver G, Oliver G, Olivia G, Olivia M, Olivia W, Oliwia M, On Ki C, Osian E, Pamela B, Panggah A, Paul B, Paul G, Paul H, Paul S, Paulina C, Pawel N, Peijia L, Penelope J, Penelope S, Penny B, Peter F, Peter F, Peter H, Peter T, Peter S, Petra K, Petra S, Phil D, Philip D, Philip W, Phoebe D, Pilar L, Placement V, Polina S, Posie B, Priyanka L, Puiyee W, Qiao Fei C, Qifei X, Qiuling L, Qiuling L, Quin C, Quince P, Rachel S, Rachel S, Rachel (Hiu Kam ) W, Rachele P, Rada P, Rafael B, Rafaela A, Rafia H, Raluca N, Randy S, Ranjit D, Ratty D, Ray M, Raz X, Rebecca A, Rebecca B, Rebecca R, Rebecca H, Rebekah H, Regina G, Renee F, Rhian H, Ria L, Ricarda B, Richard A, Richard C, Richard C, Richard R, Richard T, Rob H, Rob J, Robert F, Robert J, Robert R, Robert W, Robin J, Robyn A, Romeo Sebastian M, Romualdas S, Ronan B, Ronn T, Rory C, Rory G, Rosa P, Rose G, Roseanna P, Rosie C, Rosie S, Rosita M, Rosy R, Rotem P, Rouzhu L, Rowan T, Roxana N, Ruby G, Ruby L, Runa J, Ruoheng Z, Ruslan B, Russell M, Ruth L, Ruth G, Saamiyah N, Sabila Duhita D, Sabina P, Sabrina B, Sabrina B, Sabrina G, Sabrina Z, Sacha P, Sae-Won L, Saffron S, Sakinah B, Sakshi S, Sally G, Sally J, Sally L, Sally W, Sam S, Sam W, Samuel V, Sandra C, Sandra D, Sandra F, Sandra S, Sandy K, Sara A, Sara B, Sara D, Sara G, Sara H, Sara K, Sarah C, Sarah J, Sarah L, Sarah S, Sasha S, Saskia A, Saskia W, Sehrish A, Selen A, Selene M, Serena L, Servane D, Seungyun L, Shagun A, Shahnaz K, Shalen F, Shannon J, Sharon W, Shaun S, Shawn K, Shazin A, Sheila G, Sheila L, Sherrie C, Shimeng W, Shirley T, Shuhui S, Shula M, Shuprima G, Shuqi C, Shutong L, Shuyan L, Sigui G, Silacov v, Simon C, Simon E, Simon L, Simona J, Simran D, Siobhan H, Siqi W, Sirah A, Sissel E, Sofi P, Sofia C, Sofia P, Sofia S, Sogand B, Sonya O, Sophia B, Sophia D, Sophia L, Sophie B, Sophie J, Sophie L, Sophie S, Soyoung J, Stephanie B, Stephanie C, Stephen B, Stephen L, Steven H, Steven R, Stewart C, Stovin H, Sue J, Sue S, Sumaira M, Sumayyah M, Sun A H, Surya B, Susan G, Susan H, Susan O, Susan P, Susan R, Susan R, Susan S, Susan T, Susan W, Susan W, Susanne F, Suzanne M, Sylvia Q, Sylvia R, Sylvie D, Taija H, Tanya G, Taran K, Tasmiya T, Taw P, Taylor H, Teloni N, Tessa G, Thalia W, Theo K, Theodora G, Thomas S, Thomas Z, Tian G, Tianyu Z, Tiffany-Jessica S, Tim L, Timophey S, Timothy B, Timur M, Tina W, Tom D, Tom F, Tommaso M, Tong W, Tony T, Tuula P, Tzu-I L, Usha R, Vaishna S, Vaishnavi S, Val M, Valentina P, Valeria G, Valeria V, Valerie F, Valerie K, Vanessa B, Veenusha K, Vera W, Veronica B, Vicki S, Vicky K, Vicky T, Victor P, Victoria B, Victoria F, Viktorija K, Viktorija V, Viola M, Virginia M, Vita L, Vittoria C, Vittoria S, Vivien F, Vivienne T, Vivienne T, Vlada A, Wakana M, Wen Hsin C, Will R, William B, William J, William C, Xiaowei X, Xiaoxiao Z, Xinyu M, Xueqi D, Xun Z, Yanjun L, Yanyang G, Yara J, Yasmin G, Yasmin J, Yasmin M, Ye Seol J, Yeeyan T, Yii-Ling D, Yinan L, Ying H, Ying W, Yiren W, Yishu Y, Yolanda W, Youyou W, Yu Z, Yu Hsuan C, Yue X, Yuhong W, Yuka M, Yuko S, Yulia G, Yusleidy C, Zalihe C, Zeena Leila W, Zhanhui J, Zhiqing T, Zhirou Z, Zhitong L, Zhiyi F, Zhongping M, Zilai Z, Zimeng L, Ziru L, Zishi Z, Ziyu W, Zofia K, Zoheir B, Zorica V.

And those who wish to remain anonymous.

 

 

To sign up as a volunteer please head to https://timecounts.app/courtauldvolunteers. For information about the photographic collections please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For any copyright queries contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..