Call for Full-time Mediators | CALORIE

Are you passionate about research, public engagement, science and art? Are you excited by the opportunity to interact with artists, scholars and experts from all over the world? Curious to know what goes on behind the scenes at a Science Gallery Bengaluru exhibition?

Join our mediator team!

Apply by: Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Programme Dates: 31 May 2025 – 02 August 2026 

Please write to us at mediators@bengaluru.sciencegallery.com if you have any queries.

Who is a mediator?


Mediators are the public face of Science Gallery Bengaluru exhibitions, and converse with visitors about the various concepts explored in our themed exhibition-seasons. They are often the first point of contact for visitors, and drive the experience of the exhibition by sharing insights, provoking questions and triggering debates. They also get behind the scene access to the various forces that shape an exhibition-season at Science Gallery Bengaluru! Working with the SGB team, they will also have the opportunity to create learning experiences and resources connected to the themes of CALORIE. 

Mediators are:

  • Young people between the ages of 18 – 30, working out of Bengaluru.

  • Effective communicators who can connect with audiences.

  • Interested in interdisciplinary approaches to public engagement.

  • Team players looking to collaborate with peers on research-backed public engagement projects.

  • Creative individuals eager to develop new modes of audience engagement.

Mediators will:

  • Train with exhibiting artists and scholars to understand the process behind the creation of different exhibits. 

  • Work with the Science Gallery Bengaluru team to curate and manage audience experience on the exhibition floor.

  • Create and manage SGB’s learning resources such as the Student Learning Experiences, Activity Handbooks, Exhibition-in-a-Box, OpenCourseware, and more.

  • Conceptualise and execute informal programmes related to the theme of the exhibition-season.

  • Develop skills in communication, writing, critical thinking, and design thinking.

  • Support outreach efforts by representing SGB at offsite events.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you should be:

  • Between 18 – 30 years of age at the time of applying.

  • Based in Bengaluru, or willing to relocate for the duration of the programme.

  • Available for a full-time commitment for a period of 14-months between June 2025 to August 2026.

Ability to speak Kannada and other Indian languages is highly desirable.

Programme Structure

Phase 1
June 2025 – July 2025

TRAINING

  • Introduction to Science Gallery Bengaluru, past exhibitions, and the exhibition-season CALORIE.

  • CALORIE 101 sessions that will cover fundamental concepts around the exhibition theme.

  • Training sessions with exhibiting artists and scholars.

  • Workshops to research exhibition themes, discuss exhibits, and practice mediating.

  • Introductions to the different teams at SGB.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Attend all training sessions and actively participate in mediator practice sessions. 

  • Research each exhibit and put together the CALORIE Mediator Handbook.

  • Go through the full exhibition and develop a keen and critical understanding of each exhibit.

  • Clear exhibit reviews conducted by the Learning Team. 

  • Support the install of exhibits in the gallery space.

Phase 2
August 2025 – September 2025

TRAINING

  • Workshops and seminars in research methods, facilitation, and student engagement. 

  • Mentorship in creating learning programmes for CALORIE.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Mediate for the exhibition-season CALORIE every week from Wednesday to Sunday (both days inclusive).

  • Support  and conduct reviews for exhibits with the part-time mediators. 

  • Familiarise yourself with SGB's past exhibitions and learning resources.

  • Create and run Student Learning Experiences: walkthroughs and activities for student groups.

  • Create and run themed exhibition walkthroughs for members of the public.

  • Support the programmes team in running weekend programmes.

  • Handle logistics related to mediator schedules, exhibition maintenance, and the like.

Phase 3
September 2025 – December 2025

TRAINING

  • Workshops and seminars in writing, design thinking, and problem-solving.

  • Mentorship and one-on-ones with the Learning Team to find individuals opportunities and pathways post the Mediator Programme.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Mediate for the exhibition-season CALORIE every week from Wednesday to Sunday (both days inclusive).

  • Support the programmes team in running weekend programmes.

  • Ensure progress on mediator journals, exhibition walkthroughs, and impact surveys.

  • Handle logistics related to mediator schedules, exhibition maintenance, and the like.

Phase 4
January 2025 – April 2025

TRAINING

  • Mentorship and one-on-ones to create learning tools for CALORIE.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Mediate for the exhibition-season CALORIE every week from Wednesday to Sunday (both days inclusive).

  • Create learning tools for CALORIE: Activity Handbook; Instructor Guide; Resource List.

  • Assist in training the second batch of part-time mediators for CALORIE.

  • Handle logistics related to mediator schedules, exhibition maintenance, and the like.

Phase 5
May 2025 – July 2025

TRAINING

  • Mentorship and one-on-ones with the Learning Team to find individuals opportunities and pathways post the Mediator Programme.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Mediate for the exhibition-season CALORIE every week from Wednesday to Sunday (both days inclusive).

  • Handle logistics related to mediator schedules, exhibition maintenance, and the like.

  • Engage with visitors to conduct impact evaluation for the exhibition-season.

  • Collate and analyse audience feedback to the exhibition and mediation.

About CALORIE

Lick. Chomp. Gulp. Swallow. Burp. The desire to eat and satiate hunger drives us from the moment we are born. Be it an infant latching onto its mother’s breast or maggots devouring a corpse, all living beings feed and are fed upon.

The human body is fueled by food. In the 1860s, experiments revealed that the digestion of food releases energy, which was quantified in calories. The calorie has a complicated history, having evolved from a thermodynamic concept to a standardised measure that controls international policies on agriculture and food production, as well as healthcare and poverty indices across the globe. Food can be a tool to empower and control as well as to disenfranchise and discriminate. Food deprivation, when forced, is an act of oppression and, when voluntary, a mark of devotion or a tool for rebellion. And today, the calorie reigns supreme in fitness and diet culture.

Malnutrition afflicts India and much of the world, even as food is grown and produced in abundance. Grocery stores overflow with ultra-processed products, while supplementary powders, pills, and potions offer the promise of nourishing our bodies. Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics are now touted as solutions to optimise an individual's diet to their particular genetic profile. However, the relationship between food and health is not merely physical. Eating disorders, ranging from anorexia to binge eating, highlight the mental and emotional complexities of our connection with food.

We stand at the precipice of a divide—between food and hunger, heirloom and GMO, disease and diet, McDonalds and MTR! Are we ready to imagine what a sustainable, equitable, and flavourful food future looks like? For CALORIE, we will critically explore food and nutrition, cooking and consumption in global food cultures and systems across history.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, or if any part of this application procedure is inaccessible to you, please write to us at mediators@bengaluru.sciencegallery.com, and we will assist you accordingly. 

Vasudha Malani