Behind the scenes: the interns
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
Behind the scenes: the interns
“M has really become part of my life”
There are twelve interns working at M, and even in the middle of the exam period, five of them made time to come to the museum and explain what they do. Meet Melissa (21), Sien (22), Sam (21), Ella (25) and Kiran (26).
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
Is M an enjoyable place to work?
Kiran: “I’ve been doing this for four years already, so yes! You build great connections with the other interns, the permanent staff, and the visitors. And the museum is constantly changing; there are always new exhibitions.”
Ella: “Melissa, Sien and I study art history, so naturally, it’s exciting to experience how a museum works from the inside – how an exhibition is installed and dismantled, for example. We’ve already had a course trip to the storage facility, which was interesting, of course. But as interns, we get to see much more than the theory we’re taught.”
Sien: “I can honestly say I’ve never come home from a shift without a great anecdote – something always happens. Sometimes, if you ask them, visitors will enthusiastically tell you what they thought of an exhibition. It feels good to be part of that.”
Sam: “What’s also great is that the people at M really value the interns. Our work is genuinely appreciated.”
Melissa: “And we also have a lot of fun together. For example, whenever a new intern starts, Kiran always devises some kind of practical joke.”
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
Chill-out time
How often do you work, actually?
Ella: “For me, it varies a lot. Some months I only do three shifts because I’m so busy at university, and some months I do ten.”
Sam: “A shift lasts seven hours. We let the museum know which days we’re available, and then they put the schedule together.”
Sien: “I do between eight and ten shifts a month. Now it’s become a habit for me to nip into the museum whenever I’m in Leuven. And that’s every day, so… (laughs). M has really become part of my life.”
And during the exam period?
Melissa: “Then we try to spread things out as fairly as possible. If you really can’t make it, you swap your shift.”
Sam: “Sometimes I have eight days between exams, and then it’s really nice to come here. The day after the exam is chill-out time, so it’s the perfect moment to be at the museum. I find it a very welcome change.”
Ella: “And then there’s also ‘M-studies’ in June – students can revise in the museum during this time. If you’re assigned to supervise that, you’re basically paid to study (laughs).”
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
© Josefien Tonderleir voor M Leuven
You’ve now had a taste of life in a museum. Would you want to work here permanently?
Kiran: “I wasn’t particularly into culture when I started at M. But now that’s all changed, and I’ve also seen that M isn’t only a museum, but also organizes a lot of socio-cultural activities. That happens to fit perfectly with my studies – I’m studying sociocultural work at UCLL. So, I’m definitely interested in helping with those kinds of projects. But even working at the desk and so on: I enjoy that kind of structure.”
Melissa: “Yes. It fits with my studies, and that’s definitely one of the reasons I started here as an intern. I don’t know exactly how or what, but it certainly appeals to me.”
Sien: “Through working here, I’ve noticed that I’m more drawn to interdisciplinary art, like the Playground Festival. Performances and the ilk – that’s what interests me, how they’re organized. I think I’d rather do something like that than put together exhibitions and make catalogues.”
Sam: “I’m studying history, and I’d eventually like to go into teaching. But I’m already sad that I’ll have to let go of M when I graduate.”
Ella: “Yes, I feel the same way. Honestly, it makes me cry if I start thinking about it!”
