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Nine-month unpaid internships at museums are exploitation, say MPs
Craig Woodhouse, Political Reporter23 Feb 2011
London's leading museums and art galleries were today accused of exploiting interns who work for no pay for up to nine months at a time.
The National Gallery, Natural History Museum, British Museum and National Portrait Gallery are among those which use interns. Critics said the benefits of internships were being "abused by employers" while the practice made the posts the preserve of the well-off who could afford to work for nothing.
But the museums and galleries said internships were often a required part of university courses and offered vital work experience.
Research by Labour MP Luciana Berger found the National Gallery had nine unpaid interns working for between three weeks and nine months at a time over a year-long period ending last September.
The Natural History Museum offered 20 expenses-only internships over a similar period, working three to five days a week for up to three months at a time.
The British Library had 26 unpaid interns, with placements ranging from two weeks to six months and working from one day a week to five.
The British Museum's conservation and scientific research department hosted 24 unpaid interns, while the National Portrait Gallery had 21 -primarily working one day a week.
The Imperial War Museum had 19, the National Maritime Museum 14, Sir John Soane's Museum 16, Wallace Collection eight and Geffrye Museum six.
The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill topped the list, providing 29 expenses-only month-long internships working for a minimum of three days a week.
Ms Berger said: "Nine months unpaid is exploitation, not experience."
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy called for an inquiry into how internships are being offered. "There is absolutely a role for people to have work experience and work shadowing but that is not a nine-month unpaid placement," she said. "This just shows that the benefits of interns are being abused."
A spokeswoman for the National Gallery said their interns were "normally students whose internships constitute formal parts of courses".
Paul Brereton, director of human resources at the Natural History Museum, said it had "utmost respect" for the "significant contribution" made by interns.
The Imperial War Museum said: "We value the support of all interns and are confident that the museum helps them to develop skills and knowledge which prove useful throughout their careers."
'Work was great, but I need to eat'
Photographer and multi-media artist Agata Lulkowska, 31, worked unpaid as an intern at the National Gallery from November 2009 to January 2010.
She said the three-day-a-week post in the new media department was "brilliant" but had its drawbacks. "The financial part was very hard. I had to turn down the offer of another two weeks as an intern because I simply had no money left. I had used up my savings and maxed out my credit cards," she said.
While Miss Lulkowska does not regret taking the post, she said that offering the minimum wage would help both intern and gallery by reducing staff turnover.
"After university you are not expecting a really well-paid job but you need to eat and you need to pay your bills."
Reader views (10)
"And why is Miss Berger singling out London? Is she not supposed to be an MP based in Liverpool?"
What a stupid question, probably the most dim witted thing I've ever seen in the ES comments page and that's saying something.
As for the issue in hand it's blatantly discriminatory against those who have to work for a living as opposed to trustafarians.
- Dan, London, 24/02/2011 13:50
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A few things- 1. When I was looking for museum internships in the UK in 2002, there were hardly any! I'm impressed that there are now so many opportunities. 2. I appreciated every minute of my 9 month unpaid internship and considered myself lucky for having it. 3. Unpaid internships are mutually beneficial. Yes, the museum benefits from free labor, but most museums avoid giving interns mundane tasks and try to engage them on interesting projects that provide professional experience. 4. There's no trickery involved! Interns know exactly what they are applying for. 5. Internships often lead to jobs. At least a third of the workforce at my museum (which employs 120 people) started out as unpaid interns. 6. Museums are struggling financially at the moment. Insisting that interns get paid would just cut intern programs entirely. Instead, you should help raise awareness in a positive way, encouraging people to support their local museums. Intern stipends could be funded long term through private endowments. 7. Unpaid interns are not entirely free. A lot of staff time and resources go into the intern program at my museum and it is highly competitive.
I'd be interested to see the results of a survey of all of the unpaid interns. Yes, I'm sure they would prefer to be paid than not (who wouldn't?) but would they give up the opportunity to gain experience? Requiring museums to pay interns would severely reduce if not eliminate these valuable opportunities.
- George, Washington, D.C., USA, 24/02/2011 13:42
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Such a difficult thing. Getting into a career in Heritage/Museums/Galleries is so hard anyway. It is expensive to study for the qualifications and little pay once yuo do get a job. I shall be paying back my loans for so many years to come its depressing.
Sometimes 'voluntary' work is the only thing to do to set you apart from other candidates. I did a years internship, with accommodation/bills paid and a small amount of expenses given. It was exploitative, and angered me, but now the experience I gained is invaluable and has opened doors for me.
Now that I work in the sector, I see what limited funds they are for everything, inc wages. I'm not sure how this situation can be rectified. We have come to rely on charitable donations and voluntary workers to help do our day-to-day' work!
- RW, Midlands, 24/02/2011 12:05
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I can understand how paying interns may be relevant for Westminster, since only well off people can afford to go long periods working for an MP as an intern. It's unfair to those from poorer backgrounds and the north.
But it's not particularly relevant to arts organisations. You don't need to do an internship full time, you can take other work in the evenings/weekends and the lady in question may generate income from the sale of per photography.
An internship in a museum is hardly a real job, is it? It's more of an educating experience.
- The hand that feeds., London, 24/02/2011 10:34
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I'm currently interning two days a week at the Royal Academy as part of my MA programme. The opportunity and experience of working in such a high profile institute has its merits. Although it would be great to at least have my expenses covered, I don't necessarily feel like I'm being exploited - because I'm learning - which is pure gold in itself.
- Amy-Rose, London, 23/02/2011 17:26
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All these great institutions have well set-up volunteer programmes. Internships are therefore something else in nature; they are Work. Employing people without paying them is simply against the law, as these MPs rightly say.
Can they also confirm whether their own parliamentary interns are paid?
The universities need to clarify what they are expecting their students to be doing: if these placements are a formal part of their course, they cannot turn a blind eye to the welfare of their own students.
- mdj, london uk, 23/02/2011 14:34
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Is it fair to expect hard working people to give interns £1,000 per month to do what are effectively hobbies?
Vanity courses make very little contribution to society, as opposed to a street cleaning - which may not be highly skilled but is a much more honest career.
- Postman Pat, London, 23/02/2011 13:54
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Is this work really worth minimum wage? A cleaner has to work hard for a minimum wage. This just sounds like casual, menial tasks but worthwhile experience.
Can an arts organisation really spend £1,000 per month per person for them to pick up skills? This just sounds like a waste of cash. Surely training/teaching them is going to take up the time of other paid workers.
The Polish student in question is an overseas mature student who could easily look for paid work elsewhere such as waitressing, cleaning etc. She should not be looking for the perfect job to make ends meet.
And why is Miss Berger singling out London? Is she not supposed to be an MP based in Liverpool?
- Cash Machine, London, 23/02/2011 13:46
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But if they abolish internships how will nice well off middle and upper class children get work experience?
- kerry livermore, London, England, 23/02/2011 13:05
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Surely in London 20 interns, 12 months at minimum wage costs around £300,000 - and that's just one organisation.
I'm not sure how this idea is supposed to be funded, especially on the backdrop of a huge deficit and cuts.
- Little Cheese, London, 23/02/2011 12:38
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