What makes a great Mediator?
Mediators are the public face of Science Gallery London. They act as the first point of contact for visitors by initiating and facilitating conversations about exhibitions, as well as giving guided tours, capturing feedback from visitors and supporting public events
New Mediators are recruited on a rolling basis, usually at the start of a new exhibition season. Here Mediators past and present share their tips for a successful application.
Adam
"When applying for a Mediator position, recognising the gallery’s main principles is important. Science Gallery London strives to bridge the perceived gap between the two fields of art and science. The exhibitions look at scientific research through artistic expression or show the collaborative efforts of a researcher and an artist. Therefore, in your application, exhibiting a depth of knowledge in the field that you are comfortable with, be it science or art, and a willingness to learn about the field that you have less experience with, is important.
"Describing the qualities that you can bring to this role is also a key part of the application. In an outward-facing position, meeting members of the public at a free gallery in a busy part of central London, you will need to have well-developed social and communication skills. Interacting with people of many different backgrounds and emphasising visitor experience is key to being part of the front-of-house team. This couples well with having an excellent command of spoken English and being flexible in different situations, whether that be solo, in a team setting or in a new scenario.
"Being a Mediator is quite an intriguing role in the world of galleries, making it one of the selling points for Science Gallery London. You will be working between the artworks and the visitor, fostering a conversational environment and sparking interesting discussion. Your role will also include setting up and facilitating experiments and working during events. You should be proactive and self-starting in your approach to engaging people, because from my personal experience, most visitors come into the venue assuming that they should be silent and only introspective. However, the ethos we are trying to facilitate is a friendly space!
"When answering the application questions, promoting those facets and skills that you can bring, and which are essential to the job, is imperative to moving on to the next stage towards being employed. Keep in mind that you should be selling yourself, exhibiting your confidence and demonstrating your interest, along with writing why you would be great in this post.”
Clare
“Fast-paced, interactive and enjoyable, the Mediator role involves communicating with visitors and engaging them in discussions about the artwork. I have found that you can learn a lot from talking to visitors, who come with their own set of unique experiences and knowledge - such that each artwork could be perceived in a variety of different ways. This means the job is very interesting and I come away from each shift having learnt something new! Mediators are also involved in giving tours, which is a great way to improve confidence and communication skills.
"Because Science Gallery London seasons are all about the juxtaposition between art and science, you must be able to demonstrate a strong interest in one and a desire to learn more about the other. Most people are not fortunate to have the same level of knowledge in both art and science, but as long as you can demonstrate that you are interested in both, and particularly where the two collide, the mediator role will prove an engaging one. I studied an Undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science, with a focus on Neuroscience (so was very excited about HOOKED, the first exhibition on addiction and recovery), but have always been interested in art—through literature, exhibitions, galleries and theatre—and am currently studying a MA degree now. So, if you come from a science background, seeing how research can be presented in an artistic format should be something that greatly excites you.
"When writing your application, you should also aim to demonstrate experience or skills in communication, because the Mediator role is all about interacting with visitors, providing feedback, giving tours and working at events. Therefore, you must enjoy working with the public and talking to people from a variety of different backgrounds. I would say that the ability to communicate succinctly and consider different perspectives is more important than demonstrating an expert knowledge in either art of science. Rather than just understanding something yourself, you must be able to talk about it, adjusting how you do this depending on who your audience is.
"Lastly, the Mediator role involves working with others so you should enjoy working in a team and have good interpersonal skills. Even if you have not had a job before, you can usually demonstrate teamwork from group projects you’ve particularly enjoyed in a university course, or having undertaken a collaborative project outside of university (a trip or expedition, work experience, internships etc).
"Ultimately, if you can demonstrate good communication and teamwork skills, and if talking about art, science and contemporary themes to a variety of different people interests you, then this job is right for you!”
Nick
“As a Mediator there are a few skills that I have found to be imperative. Firstly, any relevant experience of interacting with the general public is useful as Mediators are expected to be appropriate, engaging, and friendly, and the way Mediators interact with the public is largely self-managed.
"Secondly, your application should portray an interest in either art, science, or the interface between the two. This is not necessarily akin to achievements in the respective disciplines. Science Gallery London wants to know how you talk about your passion for science and art and why you want to inspire others in the same way that those fields have inspired you. This is because the bulk of your job will be about how you display your passion and interest to the public. As a Mediator you have the most influence on adding to the public’s experience beyond the exhibits themselves.
"Thirdly, it is important to be able to display teamwork. Good communication between other Mediators and management staff makes the exhibition run more smoothly and adds to the overall interactive public experience.”
April 25, 2019