Volunteer Voices: Going Phygital with Our Volunteers

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, docent-led tours provided an excellent entry point for understanding and appreciating National Gallery Singapore's art and architecture. Trained volunteer guides, the Gallery’s docents are tasked with leading tours of our long-term and special exhibitions. Along with our festivals and yearlong calendar of programmes, the docent-led tours have become a key way in which we engage our audiences.

With the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic, the Gallery had to innovate and find new methods to bring its collection to local and international audiences. In line with the Gallery’s digitization efforts, the idea of livestream tours was born. Livestream tours perfectly embody “going phygital” a concept that describes experiences that marry the physical and digital realms. Before we could bring livestream tours to the public, we had to ensure our volunteers were prepared to navigate the evolving museum landscape.

Volunteer training for the livestream tours were designed to help participants’ understanding of the technical expertise involved, as well as develop virtual facilitation skills. Recruitment for the first training opened in February 2021 with 40 volunteers—comprising docents and other Best Friends of the Gallery (BFGs)—signing up. The training programme consisted of two phases: lecture-based learning and practical sessions. The lectures were conducted by professions, who taught participants about software, equipment, and facilitation tips that would help them to effectively manage a livestream tour. This was followed by the practical sessions—hands on opportunities for participants to put what they had learnt during the lecture into practice.

For this edition of Volunteer Voices, we spoke to Kok Pooi San and Gopalakrishnan Ponnusamy, a docent and a BFG who were paired up for the practical sessions. Although it was their first time working together, the duo displayed great chemistry and bonded over their passion for art and volunteering.

A seasoned docent, Pooi San’s journey as a docent at the Gallery started in 2017. A docent for our long-term exhibitions, she also leads special tours such as the newly introduced Art x Cocktails tour, which features art pieces that inspired craft cocktails. Outside of the Gallery, Pooi San leads the innovation team at an alcoholic beverage company where she uses her imagination to develop a range of alcoholic products.

Gopal’s journey as an individual volunteer began in 2015. Mesmerised by the Gallery’s architecture from the minute he stepped in, he signed up for the BFG programme immediately. His responsibilities range from ushering and assisting visitors to conducting programme surveys. Outside of the Gallery, Gopal is an electronics engineer and has also volunteered with community centers and social institutions that advocate for animals.

On why they were interested in livestream tours

Pooi San: As part of my work, I was researching livestreaming and its influence on consumer trends. I grew increasingly fascinated with the livestreaming industry and decided to sign up to be trained for the Gallery’s livestream tour programme. Unlike typical livestreamers who promote consumer products, I would be selling (promoting) art and the Gallery, which I love.   

Gopal: When I saw the recruitment email, it all sounded so exciting, and I signed up without a second thought. Not only is it a new volunteering role in the Gallery, but it is also something I have never done before. I was never a cameraman or a photographer and I was interested in learning something new.   

On the challenges they faced

Pooi San: The challenge I faced stemmed from the difference between guiding a virtual and a physical tour.  During a virtual tour, I had to learn how to avoid turning my back against the camera (or the audience), which I am not used to. I was never conscious of that when guiding a physical tour.  That was a big challenge for me.   

Another challenge is selecting camera-friendly artworks to guide. Fine details such as texture and material of artworks are usually lost on camera, but it is also what makes them interesting. After the practical session, I had to rethink my routes, as well as which artworks I covered so that I could include ones that would be more suitable for livestreaming.    

Gopal: I wanted to impress the audience by making sure everything happened perfectly so that everyone would like it. The challenge was reaching this level of perfection – how were we going to do so when the docent and the tech crew did not know each other?  Coordination between the docent and tech crew was something Pooi San and I had to navigate during the practical session.

Additionally, it was not easy walking backwards whilst filming and having to contend with configuration issues on the iPad and spots with weaker Wi-Fi connections in the gallery. However, I think it was good that we faced these issues during the training so that when they   surface during the actual live-streams, I would be able to resolve them quickly.

On upskilling

Pooi San: Upskilling to me is about consistent learning. It means being able to constantly expose myself to something new; something that is slightly unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The live-streaming practical sessions were like a sandbox to me, it gave me a chance to fall, to experiment, and to learn from.   

Gopal: There was a lot to learn during the training sessions as it was my first time livestreaming. As a member of the tech crew, I had to learn how to set up a Zoom meeting, configure the various devices, and the basics of being a cameraman such as frames and ninja walking... there are so many things to learn!    

On their hopes for the livestreamed tours

Pooi San: I want to sell (promote) a positive experience through the livestream tours. I hope that these tours will encourage our audiences to come back to the Gallery and increase visitorship after the pandemic is over.    

Gopal: The live-stream tours are a good initiative for those who cannot come to the Gallery physically. It brings people together because families or friends can participate in the virtual tours together. I have similar sentiments as Pooi San, and I hope that at the end of the tour, viewers will develop an interest in coming to see the artworks in real life, at the Gallery.

On friendships

Pooi San: I am thankful to have Gopal as my partner. He is patient and allows me to have as much space and time as possible. He did not make funny faces at me when I said something wrong. He was the best teammate ever. It also helps that he is easygoing; communication was a breeze, and we could listen to each other. Of course I would love to work with him again in the future! But Gopal has worked with other docents before, maybe he can compare them against me? [laughs]   

Gopal: There is no comparison between the docents. Everyone has their own style of presenting and different docents have different ways of guiding. No one style is better than another. I feel like it is my duty as the tech crew to understand what each docent wants during the livestream, so that the tour takes place according to how the docent envisions it. As far as I am concerned, I have made a new friend through these sessions, and I am definitely willing to work with Pooi San again!   

Our volunteers are important stakeholders, and the Gallery is grateful for how they continuously adapt to these uncertain and everchanging times. Moving forward, we will continue our efforts to upskill our volunteers and equip them with skills that they can use in their daily lives. By providing our volunteers with a platform where like-minded individuals can meet, the Gallery is also working towards its mission of creating an art-loving community of bonded volunteers.

Livestream tours at the Gallery are still in development. With practical sessions resuming soon, we are on track to roll out the on-demand livestreamed tours from October 2021! If you are interested in booking one, please contact the Gallery’s Community & Access team at community@nationalgallery.sg with your enquiries.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Gallery, visit this page to find out more about the opportunities available.