Volunteer Opportunity: Curator, Chesham Museum, Buckinghamshire
Reference No.3192 Interview date:01/02/2018 Job Description:Chesham Museum tells the story of the town and its people over its long history but particularly from the 18th century to the present day. Since its inception in the early 1990s the Museum has acquired a substantial archive of images, artefacts, documents and audio material.
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Now at an important milestone in its development, the Museum has left its former home and is actively seeking new permanent premises. While these are being sought they are looking to recruit a volunteer Curator to help shape the new Museum for when they reopen to the public.
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What they want you to do
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• Learn about the collections, and improve their cataloguing and documentation through working with the Museum Management Team and volunteer stewards
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• Lead on all aspects of collections management, in particular ensuring that Accreditation is achieved and maintained
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• Lead on advocacy and advice, by acting as an expert promoter of the collections both internally and externally, responding to queries, and providing advice
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• Initiate and contribute to subject research, working with colleagues and local research groups, to help everyone understand more about the town and its people, and to identify and agree a programme of exhibitions and outreach displays
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• Develop and implement initiatives that promote the Museum and its collections, such as “popup” displays and information points, and work on a series of new displays for when the Museum reopens
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• Support the wider Museum team by participating in PR, social media, marketing and funding applications
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• Work closely with the Museum’s web designer to produce an improved website that will complement the physical Museum
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Who they’re looking for
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• Someone with a keen interest in Chesham, its people and its history
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• Experience of collections management or curatorship in the museum or heritage sector
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• Ability to commit around eight hours per week, though this can be flexible
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• An efficient, personable, self-motivated, and excellent communicator
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• An understanding, or experience, of working within a charitable organisation
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• Good computer skills person which ideally includes collection cataloguing databases
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• An understanding of the issues relating to the care and presentation of collections
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• An awareness of the communities that make up modern Chesham
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• Funding and/or accreditation experience or the willingness to learn such skills
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What you would expect from them
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• Project-related work will be on a fee-paid basis, commensurate with project size, duration and the post-holder’s experience
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• Reasonable expenses will be paid
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• The post could be a job-share if advantageous to two candidates with complementary skills
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Applications with c/v and covering letter to John Graves at info@cheshammuseum.org.uk.
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