We are the cool kids

Two months back if yoursquod asked 18yearold Rhea Chauhan to spend a day at a museum the St Xavierrsquos College student wouldrsquove probably dismissed the idea as boring Not any more Chauhan who enrolled herself for a summer internship with the Education Department at Fortrsquos Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS acted as a guide conducted workshops and planned gallery activities from 930 am to 530 pm every day of the week ldquoEarlier I thought museums meant only dull spaces where visitors walked around and looked at old artefacts But now I learnt how a museum actually works therersquos so much going on internallyFrom left Saniya Shaikh Meghna Saha and Rhea Chauhan were part of the recentlyconcluded summer internship programme at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS PicPradeep DhivarI also interacted with different kinds of people dailyrdquo she gushes a tad disappointed that her twomonth internship came to an end last week Along with Saniya Shaikh 18 Meghna Saha 23 and three others she was selected for the eightweek summer internship programme offered by CSMVS for high school and undergrads since 2013A docent assisting with Ganesh idol making workshop at Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum ldquoThe idea is to help young students from different disciplines to get an access to the Indian as well as world cultural heritage that is on display at CSMVS It is our duty to not only share our experience but to also inspire them to think deeper about research heritage and conservationrdquo feels Sabyasachi Mukherjee DirectorGeneral CSMVS The museum offers oneyear long internship programme for postgraduate studentsThe interns on the right assisting the artist and curatorial team with the installation of the Missives exhibitionMeanwhile 50yearold Anita Yewale a JJ School of Arts graduate has been conducting workshops at Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum since last year She is part of the twoyear docent a guide on voluntary basis programme offered by the museum since 2013 Open to young adults and professionals interested in art education and history the Byculla museum also offers a yearlong internship programme and plans to start short term summer internships by next yearWhy itrsquos coolSo you thought museum internships only meant documentation research and backend administrative work Think again From designing scavenger hunts across the museum to conducting workshops like Play With Clay and Paper Puppet Making the interns were given handson experience from Day One In fact they even designed a temporary exhibit depicting the poor condition of mangrove forests with taxidermied animals on World Environment DayFrom left Meghna Saha Saniya Shaikh and Rhea Chauhan at the Sheshshayee Vishnu sculpture at CSMVS PicPradeep DhivarldquoVisitors often walk around the museum and donrsquot even read the texts posted beside the displays We acted as communicators between the exhibits and the visitors For instance we helped them look at miniature paintings through magnifying glasses and told them the stories behind the paintings We showed them how to use printing blocks at the newlyopened Textile Gallery in CSMVS That fascinated them especially young adults and kids who populated the gallery during summer vacationrdquo shares ShaikhMeanwhile at Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum the interns and docents helped conduct activities like the Games Mela special events like Kahani Karnival festival of stories for children and even assisted with the installation and programming for recent exhibitions like Missives Doubled Frame Games People Play etc ldquoKids from different strata of the society visit this museum A student from an IB school will not have the same kind of exposure as a child learning at a school run by an NGO I learnt how to interact with each child differently and to hold workshops accordinglyrdquo elaborates YewaleItrsquos a winwin scenarioSuch an internship provides an 18yearold mdash who otherwise might have just whiled away time during summer holidays mdash with more professional experience not to mention additional pocket money as both the museums offer stipends While CSMVS pays 5000 per month to the undergrad interns docents at Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum are paid 500 per hour On the other hand the museums get extra hands on deckldquoThe internship is mutually beneficial we get extra work force especially during summers when the scale of our activities increases substantially For the intern it is an opportunity to build their resumerdquo says Bilwa Kulkarni Education Officer CSMVS who was part of the selection process for the interns ldquoWe announce our internships by March this year we got a range of applicants across various disciplines The selected applicants are called for an interview Usually we have about two interns in each department This year the education department selected threerdquo she addsThe future looks brightFrom working in education and research organisations to even taking up specialised courses in museum studies this internship can help one figure out their specific area of interest ldquoWe recruit interns too should we see the capability and talent Also if they wish to pursue higher studies in Museology or Arts Management abroad or in India these internships are very helpful In fact many overseas universities with museology courses recommend get ting a few months of museum work experiencerdquo says KulkarniThe 23yearold Bangalorebased Saha a student of museum studies flew down for a twomonth internship at CSMVS and now plans to stay on for a few more months She sums up ldquoPeople often visit the museums not only to find something new but to also see things that they can relate to The idea is to build on their connection with the space inspire them and help them interpret heritage This is possible only with a practical internship not through textbooksrdquo