I decided to start volunteer work at Northern Stage as I was interested in looking for opportunities within the Newcastle and North Tyneside areas that focused on arts, culture, and theatre.
The volunteer role of ‘Survey Volunteer’ was available at Northern Stage and with the specification in mind, I wanted to engage with other people to understand their feedback and opinions on theatrical performances as well as other activities the organisation had on offer to the public.
The role was ideal for me as a Business Analyst working within a Project Management environment, as I’ve always been involved in engaging with a variety of people, collecting data, and doing analysis activities.
On my initial meeting with Zoe (previous Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships), we had an informal chat about the role and what it would entail. I immediately wanted to get involved, as this role had never been done before by Northern Stage, and they wanted to trial run the survey technology, as well as develop the best approach to gather feedback from audience members.
The main highlight of being a Survey Volunteer with Northern Stage was meeting all the people who worked there (both in the front of house and backstage), as well as getting to know the intricacies of what goes on in the theatre – from an audience perspective and supporting the Box Office.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching a variety of performances (from children’s plays/activities to the more serious adult shows) and then speaking with audience members afterwards to understand what their opinions were and getting feedback (whether it be positive or negative).
Being the go-to person from a volunteer perspective was also rewarding, as it allowed me to mentor other volunteers on the methods used to engage with the public. This is so we could get as much feedback to input into the surveys as part of the summertime scheme in 2023 and for improving the Northern Stage’s services/activities (as per customer feedback).
Through the role, I have learned to further develop my interpersonal skills, both with adults and children from a variety of backgrounds, instead of just socialising with people on a colleague/business level in a workplace environment.
The overall atmosphere at Northern Stage was extremely relaxing and it is an inviting place to work (especially with all the people I have got to know since I started my role in July 2023). Since starting here, I have been promoting the organisation to family and friends.
Since volunteering at Northern Stage, I started a full-time job with another organisation as a Business Analyst in February 2024, but intend to continue to support Northern Stage as a Survey Volunteer as and when I can.
I loved my time there and would like to reconnect with all the people I met along the way – including having another attempt at winning the Christmas quiz again this year!
Written by Sam Campbell