If you are a museum studies student, current museum volunteer, front-of-house worker or unwaged then this opportunity is for you.

We are recruiting volunteers to help at MA Conference 2026, which takes place on 2-4 November at Birmingham Repertory Theatre (the Rep).

Volunteering is good fun and an opportunity to attend sessions, tours and social events for free.

If you are interested, please read the below information and then complete an information form by 1 October 2026.

Please note we are unable to offer financial assistance with travel or accommodation. If you have any questions about volunteering at conference, please email events@museumsassociation.org.

About volunteering at conference

We are recruiting volunteers to help at Conference 2026, which takes place 2-4 November at Birmingham Repertory Theatre/Library of Birmingham. Some sessions will be broadcast for online audiences.

The programme includes city tours on Monday 2 November; conference sessions delivered on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November; and social events in the evening on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Volunteers receive a free in-person place at conference in exchange for helping with front-of-house and stewarding on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November. Volunteers can attend the Monday tours and social events if they wish do – they are not expected to volunteer at these.

What to expect

Volunteers should expect to be at the Rep from approximately 0800 until 1800 on Tuesday 3 November and from 0830 until 1800 on Wednesday 4 November.

We will run a Zoom induction on Monday 19 October at 1800. Volunteers will be given a physical tour of the venue at 0800 on Tuesday 3 November.

Volunteers will also be sent a Volunteer Handbook and allocated sessions which they will attend as stewards.

Volunteers should dress comfortably – we recommend flat shoes as in some cases you may be standing. The Museums Association will provide badges and t-shirts for volunteers.

As a volunteer, you are entitled to lunch (vegetarian/vegan) and other refreshments served.

We will also make every effort to accommodate any access needs you may have (please provide details in confidence via the application form).

Responsibilities and duties

At the start of the day, some volunteers will be required to assist MA staff with front-of-house duties. These include:

  • Welcoming delegates to the venue and helping them with badges or directions around the venue.
  • Handing out lanyards to delegates.
  • Directing speakers to their correct room or a member of MA staff who will be able to assist them.

All volunteers will be assigned sessions to attend as stewards. This role includes:

  • Welcoming speakers/chairs to the room approximately 10-15 minutes before a session is due to start and ensuring they are met by the theatre technician.
  • Contacting a member of the MA team immediately if there are any problems – for example, if a speaker has not arrived.
  • Checking that signage outside the theatre is in place, seats are tidy, and the top table has fresh water and clean glasses.
  • Welcoming delegates as they arrive and asking them to sit near the front if they are able to.
  • Assisting with roving mics for Q&As.

There will be times when you are not assigned to a specific room – unless asked otherwise, you can use this time to attend sessions or network.

The application process

Please be aware that we will prioritise volunteers who live in the local area. You must be able to volunteer on both Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November.

We are actively seeking and welcome applications from people from a range of diverse backgrounds, particularly people with disabilities, people of colour, people who identify as LGBTQ+ and people from a range of socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We will make every effort to accommodate volunteers’ access requirements.

The application includes the Museums Association equality and diversity monitoring form. In accordance with the Museums Association’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, the Museums Association will provide equal opportunities to all applicants. This includes not discriminating under the Equality Act 2010 and building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce in encouraging equality and diversity.

To enable us to ensure our compliance with this policy, we would be grateful if you would complete the form for monitoring purposes. We will treat the information confidentially, and it will not be directly used as part of the shortlisting process. However, in cases where applicants are equally qualified, as per our recruitment policy we may use this data to give preference to applicants from diverse backgrounds.

We will treat all personal information in line with current data protection legislation and our data protection policy.

All candidates will be contacted by rebecca.atkinson@museumsassociation.org via email by Thursday 1 October to let them know if their application has been successful or not. Please let us know if you need to withdraw your application.

Apply now

Please read all the above information carefully. If you are interested in volunteering at MA Conference this year, please complete our application form by 1 October 2026.