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Opportunities at The World of Glass

Glass Artist in Residency Positions now Open!

 

We are offering 2 Glass artists an Artist in Residence position and invite interested individuals to apply.  These residencies will each run for 2 weeks, with space available between October 2026 to March 2027.

If you would like to be considered for a place as Artist in Residence, please apply here.

 

The residency position offers the time, space and facilities for you to develop your making practice or realise a specific project. The successful applicant will be given access to our hot and cold glass workshops and The World of Glass facilities for the duration of the residency.

 

We are offering:

 

  • Glass studio space and equipment for 2 weeks
  • Kuglar glass materials, if you require anything else you will need to supply the materials
  • Accommodation, up to 14 nights
  • £500 to help fund extra costs that may be required towards the piece made for The World of Glass collection.

 

In exchange, the resident artist will be expected to:

 

  • Support public engagement with our visitors. This may include but is not limited to; workshops and demonstrations, delivering a minimum of 3 separate occasions across the 2 weeks.
  • Produce a piece of glass art during the residency for The World of Glass to include in our nationally accredited museum collection.

 

Glass artists from all stages of their career are encouraged to apply.

 

We are also open to both UK based and internationally based artists.

 

Timing

  • There are two Artist in Residence opportunities, both of which run for two consecutive weeks.  The available timeframe is from 1st October 2026 through to 31st March 2027.  Due to studio maintenance, it is not available throughout January.

 

Please indicate your preferred dates in your application.

 

  • Workshop access at The World of Glass is between 8am – 5pm, Wednesday – Friday, and 9am – 4pm, Saturday – Sunday.
  • Artist in Residence would normally be expected to be there full-time unless with prior agreement.

 

Facilities:

 

Hot Glass

 

  • 50kg tank furnace with clear Kuglar glass
  • 2 glory holes and 2 benches
  • 1 top loading colour warmer
  • 3 annealing kilns – 2 small top and 1 large front loading
  • 1 large solid work fusing kiln
  • 2 marvers
  • Selection of hand tools
  • 2 oxy gas fluffy torches
  • 1 MAP propane spot heating torch

 

Cold Glass

 

  • Flatbed grinder
  • Linisher
  • Large diamond saw
  • Diamond pillar drill
  • Taurus 3 ring saw
  • Large capacity sandblaster
  • Flexi drive pen engraver
  • Pumice and cerium lathe

 

If you would like to be considered for a place as Artist in Residence, please apply here.

 

The application form requires detailed information including:

 

  • contact details,
  • a written artist statement,
  • images/videos of your work,
  • a Curriculum Vitae,
  • a proposal of what you would like to achieve in your time at The World of Glass, including a timetable of how you plan on spending your time.

 

There is no application fee. We are committed to making our opportunities accessible and easy to apply to, offering support for those facing barriers. Please contact us if you require any assistance.

 

  • Deadline for applications: 15th August 2026, 11:59 pm GMT
  • Notification of results: 26th August 2026

 

If successful, you may be asked to supply a Reference of Support and if applicable, evidence of a valid visa. Overseas applicants are responsible for ensuring they have an independent visa in place to cover the residency period.

 

Please also be aware that the successful applicant will need to provide insurance cover, and we will need to see a copy of the policy document.

 

AiRs are expected to make their own travel arrangements at their own expense.

 

 

VOLUNTEERS

 

At The World of Glass, no two days are the same, and we strive to provide visitors with an excellent experience and our team of volunteers is vital in helping us to deliver this.

Benefits to volunteering at The World of Glass:

 

  • Learn new skills
  • Expect a welcoming environment
  • Socialise with staff and other volunteers
  • Play your part in helping a local charity organisation
  • Reimbursed travel expenses up to £5 per day
  • References provided for future volunteer or job applications.

 

If any of the following volunteer opportunities interest you, contact us at  apply via this form here

or contact  Volunteering@worldofglass.com for more details.

 

 

International Festival of Glass 2026 Festival Stewards

 

We need your help over the August 2026 Bank Holiday weekend, to ensure that the community of St Helens, and International Glass enthusiasts, have the best experience during the International Festival of Glass 2026 (IFoG2026). As a Festival Steward you will:

 

  • Support the running of events at The World of Glass and across St Helens
  • Help visitors navigate the town centre by providing Wayfinding help at transport hubs.
  • Assist in gathering feedback and data from visitors which is vital in shaping and improving our future work.

 

 

All training will be provided, and you will be given any background information needed for the activities you work on.

 

Gallery Volunteers

 

As a small team, we rely on volunteers to help us offer the best possible visitor experience to everyone who walks through our doors. As a gallery volunteer, your role will be to:

 

  • Invigilate galleries during exhibitions such as the British Glass Biennale 2026
  • Support visitors as they navigate the site
  • Help visitors understand our exhibitions, collections, and spaces
  • Provide short tours to visitors when requested
  • Assist in gathering feedback and data from visitors which is vital in shaping and improving our future work.
  • Assist with events throughout the year.

 

All training will be provided along with information about the galleries and exhibitions to ensure you are fully equipped to talk to visitors about the wonders of The World of Glass.

 

 

Visitor Engagement Volunteers

 

We are looking for volunteers to help deliver family activities, from crafts to object handling as well as assist with school visits.

 

Your help will ensure we give our younger visitors the best possible experience and encourage them to return time and time again. Interested? You should:

 

  • Have experience working with children and families.
  • Feel confident working independently as well as part of a team
  • Be enthusiastic about arts, crafts, education, and heritage.

 

All training will be provided, and you will be given any information needed for the activities you work on.

 

Chatty Café Volunteers

 

The World of Glass has joined The Chatty Café scheme, which is an initiative to reduce loneliness by getting people chatting. We would love to offer a Chatty Café table in The Café here at the World of Glass and are looking for a few enthusiastic volunteers to help set up and host these sessions. Interested? You should:

 

  • Enjoy meeting and speaking to new people.
  • Have 1-2 hours a week to help promote and host the table.

 

To become a Chatty Café Volunteer, please contact Volunteering@Theworldofglass.com to speak to Katie – and also apply here Volunteer – Chatty Cafe Scheme UK

 

 

Work Experience

If you are a student interested in getting into creative careers such as arts and heritage, then The World of Glass might be the place for you.

 

We currently offer short work experience placements for high school students doing their work experience. Work experience usually lasts a week. If you are interested in doing your work experience with us, we encourage students to reach out to us themselves as this is an important part of learning about the world of work. Contact us via the email address below to enquire about work experience. Please be aware we can only take on 1 student per week for this kind of work experience placements so act fast to avoid disappointment.

 

If you require a longer work placement for college or university, please contact us on the email address below with the requirements of your course and we will be happy to discuss your placement needs. Please be aware we can only take on 1 student at a time for these kinds of placements, and we get lots of requests so get in touch with us early to avoid disappointment.

 

Interested in Work Experience at The World of Glass? We only have a few opportunities a year for this so act quickly to avoid disappointment:

Email Katie on Volunteering@worldofglass.com for more information and for application forms.

 

The World of Glass is a charity (no 1006990) and we work really hard to provide a great service for the people of St Helens and the wider city region. We are unable to do this without the support of our customers and our volunteers. We thank all of our volunteers for their amazing work over the years. THANK YOU!