You've done it! You have a clear artistic vision, you have a collection of incredible games, you have a venue, you even have a few sponsors. Now what you need is a team.

Game exhibitions need more support than other exhibitions: people get confused about how to play, people use the computers to check their social media, software freezes or crashes, the internet goes down, custom controllers break, and people share germs and STIs through controllers and VR headsets.

Unless your exhibition is just you sharing videogames from your couch, you're going to need to find some help.

## Finding volunteers or paid helpers

1. Put out an open call. Be specific about your vision, about the work, the duration and money. Use visuals and lead back to a short form. 2. Send your call directly to people you'd love to work with. It's scary, but it's worth it. How can people help you if they don't know you need help? 3. Look for help in the right places. Consider where you might find your ideal helpers. Reach out to videogame festivals, web art communities, relevant university departments, digital art galleries, and arcades, and ask for their advice and help to spread the call. Many communities will be happy to post a poster, share a social media post, or send out a call in their newsletter. 4. Keep it tight. It's often better to invest in a small handful of enthusiastic people than to train hundreds of unreliable and uninvested people. 5. Choose your team carefully. Your team will shape the experience of every visitor to your exhibition. If your curatorial team is diverse, your exhibition will reflect that diversity. If anyone on your team is abusive or toxic, that rot will eat away at your team and undermine all your hard work.

## Have a timeline for new helpers

Don't let all that glorious new energy fizzle away. New relationships are delicate. Make a plan for how you will interact with your new team members. The training should feel welcoming, personal, and well organized.

Have a plan. For example:

1. Potential helper fills in a very short “helper” form. 2. Meet them quickly while energy is still high, 3. Give them a warm welcome, tell them about the community, vision, expectations. Learn about their interests, motivations, and expectations and assign them an easy task with a short deadline. *For example, write a 2 sentence description about a game by Monday.* 4. A few days later do a punctual check-in: how are they doing? Do they have any questions? If the first task is complete, jump into immediate thanks, celebration, and get their feedback before assigning another task. If they have no questions and they don't seem interested or have actively disappeared, move on. 5. Cycle through a few small tasks with the new helper, being very mindful to answer questions quickly. Tasks should immediately begin to escalate in terms of autonomy and difficulty. If the helper has misestimated their capacity or interest, it’s best to know quickly. If all goes well, they easily become integrated with the team. ## What do you need help with? Working at A MAZE. Berlin, here are some of the many things we needed help with: playing submissions, curation, exhibition design, exhibition construction, signage, promotion, communications, media relations, administration, logistics, computer set up, internet setup, drivers, ticketing, exhibition floor (explaining how to play, assisting people in VR, and fixing broken games), food/drink sales, cleaning, sanitizing, and security,

Consider why you want helpers. Is it simply that you need specific labour and skills? Or are you interested in the diversity of expression? Or the excitement, enthusiasm, and community growth that can come with a team?

## Take time to understand motivations

When working with helpers you have two choices: forcefully micromanage people into doing things, or understand their motivations and meet them in the way they need.

Here are some of the top motivators for volunteers and helpers: community, friendship, interest in the cause, skill development, empowerment, money, opportunities for creativity, prestige, and access to resources. Ask your helpers what motivates them and pay attention to what moves them.

## Talk openly about expectations

Talk about Money: Until there is a major change in our economic structure, we are often dealing with volunteers and underpaid people in the arts. Communicate openly about money, especially if some people are paid and others are not.

Talk about what you expect and what people can expect from you For example, *you might promise to:*

1. Only do work together that matches our shared vision and goals. 2. Speak our vision clearly so people can see each task in the larger context. 3. Match people to the work that most closely meets personal skills and interests. 4. Define tasks clearly, provide training, communicate expectations. 5. Support people when they ask for help (within capacity). 6. Acknowledge and celebrate all work. 7. Take all feedback seriously and make changes when the community agrees. 8. Say no to growth when we are low on energy or time. 9. Continuously work towards a stronger, safer, and more accessible community. 10. Make space for people to grow and/or step back when needed

*A helper might promise to:*

1. Be aware of the space you occupy and mindful of the way your energy and actions shape the team, community, and feeling of the exhibition. 2. Communicate your needs and desires as clearly as you can. 3. Invest in your own training: take time to understand the community. 4. Only sign on for the work you can do. 5. Ask for help when you need it. 6. Communicate right away when you can’t meet your commitments. 7. Communicate when something isn’t working (anonymous if needed).

## Be mindful about *how* the work is being done** Invest time in making the working environment positive and supportive. This includes you, be thoughtful about your own state of mind. If you notice that the work starts to feel heavy and arduous, let your team know, then scale back.

Communication is everything. In every meeting, gathering, and work session, make space for people to connect in a personal and delightful way. Find every excuse to celebrate the work your team is doing. Make time for anonymous and private feedback to avoid the slow festering of unspoken conflict.

## Match helpers to tasks

Tasks should match a helper's motivations, interests, and capacity. For example, it takes a certain type of personality to continue to be polite and enthusiastic after asking your hundredth person to keep their sticky drink off a computer.

Helpers sit between the creators and the public, and it takes specific personality types and volunteers often serve as an interface between creators and the public (in a very wide sense). Maybe we could add something about how to behave/interact with both too? Bad management can be stressful but interacting all day with a frustrated crowd, or with a not well mannered “artist” can also be a challenge.

For each task, it's helpful to provide: a reason for doing the task relative to the big picture; recognition of the helper and their value; clear instructions, training and tools; a reasonable timeline; and a safe and friendly working environment. It's also important to make space for feedback when the task is finished as well as appreciation and rewards that match the motivations of the helper.

## Letting people go When a helper is more work than help over a sustained period, it's time to let them go. Always talk to them when they are leaving, There are many reasons why a person might leave, and there's always something to learn. People can be at their most honest when they are leaving.

Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan

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