Volunteer guides

Volunteer guides

Being a volunteer guide at Christchurch Art Gallery is a rewarding way to meet new people, extend your arts knowledge and offer your time and skills to the community.

Our guides are a valued and vital part of the Gallery team, enriching the gallery experience for our visitors by telling the stories of our art collection. Volunteers continue a tradition of generosity established in 1979. 

Volunteer guides help the Gallery by:

  • guiding our free daily tours
  • guiding community groups and school groups
  • assisting with school groups in the Gallery’s education centre.

Guides undertake a comprehensive training programme before leading tours, and there are ongoing training sessions scheduled for each new exhibition. Most guides undertake two or more duties a month, depending on availability.

Our volunteer guide team numbers around 50, with people of all ages and backgrounds, who share a strong interest in arts and culture. There are annual social events for guides.

We recruit new guides approximately every two years. Even if we are not actively recruiting, we always like to hear from people with an enthusiasm for the arts who enjoy public speaking, so if you are interested in becoming part of our volunteer guide team, please contact guided engagement coordinator Rebecca Ogle on (+64 3) 941 7347 or email volunteer@christchurchartgallery.org.nz.

Meet the guides

Allanah James