Abed Bhatti – Volunteer
Hi, my name is Abed Bhatti, and let me start off by welcoming you to the V&A Faces blog, the brainchild of Nathalie Joseph-Ali, who is a gallery supervisor at the V&A, and Caterina Lacueva Bisquert, an administrative assistant and volunteers co-ordinator within the V&A visitor services department. As the Lead Editor of the V&A Faces blog, I collect the contributions of a small team of passionate, enthusiastic, eclectic and cultured individuals, who seek to illuminate the public’s visit to the V&A.
V&A Faces aims to give the public and fellow staff an insight into the everyday lives and opinions of the Front of House Staff, about their experiences, secret passions and memorable events, as well as useful hints and tips, to ‘inspire’ visitors, by making the most of their visit to the world’s greatest museum of art and design.
Our posts will range from “accounts from the day in the life of a volunteer” to “a standout memory and experience” or a “favourite artefact”and “reviews of a current exhibition.” It will be a sincere and cultured attempt by our knowledgeable team to help you, the public, decide on what to come and see at the V&A and our sister Museum, The Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. The blog will give the public a chance to understand what being a Volunteer or Front-of-House staff at the V&A means, where they come from, why they’re here, their experiences and what they love about the V&A, in the broadest meaning.
Given this, I welcome all volunteers, front of house staff and members of the public to come and read our posts, which seek to impart some pearls of wisdom. This blog aims to put a human face to the V&A, by allowing you the public, to gain an insight in to what goes on behind the scenes.
Caterina Lacueva Bisquert – Administrative Assistant
My name is Caterina Lacueva Bisquert, and I have worked at the V&A since 2007. It is hard for me to believe how long I have been a part of the V&A family, as time passes so quickly when you are having fun!
I have fulfilled different roles during my time at the V&A, but always in the Visitor Experience team. What can I say? I love it! Nothing makes me more proud than knowing that the work I do every day is contributing towards keeping this wonderful museum open to everyone, and making sure that the V&A’s valued visitors have the best possible experience and make the most of their visit.
I am especially enjoying one aspect of my role – managing and training V&A Volunteers. This has given me the opportunity to take part in the launch of the V&A Faces blog. I look forward to reading the different stories and experiences from my colleagues on the Front of House team, as I hope you are too. Please join us in our journey and we will prove to you that there is much more to the daily life of the V&A than meets the eye.
Nathalie Joseph-Ali – Gallery Supervisor
Hi, I’m Nathalie Joseph-Ali and I work as a gallery supervisor at the V&A. As part of my job I manage our team of Front-of-House volunteers and I thought a blog would be a nice way for them to share their experiences of, and at, the museum with all of you!
I used to volunteer myself across the road with our friends at the Natural History Museum and I know how rewarding this can be. We learn so much from our visitors and colleagues, have so much knowledge ourselves and enthusiasm it’s quite a shame to keep it all from you. As the blog grows you’ll be able to hear from more of the people who work here, directly in contact with the public. So I hope you enjoy the stories, portraits and other bits that our volunteers will post and that you’ll want to meet them in person in South Kensington in the near future!
