Case studies : Freelance heritage consultant: Julia

Julia has had a diverse career that has seen her work in a range of related sectors including heritage. She now acts as a freelance professional; taking on projects that suit her current personal circumstances and professional interests. Julia has a first in archaeology from Liverpool University and a Masters in Museum Studies from Leicester University. 

I’ve been lucky in that, for much of my professional career, I’ve been able to work across a range of inter-related sectors that have drawn on my university training, knowledge and expertise. These have included starting off in field archaeology, moving to a research unit at Cambridge University, joining The British Museum to work on a particular individual collection, and acting as curator for a small provincial museum, whilst taking on a range of cultural and heritage related projects.

One of the most interesting projects was a remit to work with a local county council that wanted to ensure that new ethnic communities moving into the area were made to feel welcome and become a part of it. Projects involved working with local community leaders, organising opportunities to capture oral history from amongst the older generation, and working with the younger generations to plan events and activities that would raise the profile of their particular ethnic group, and encourage them to see heritage as means of maintaining the links between the generations and ensuring a previous way of life was not lost to them. 

Such projects have always drawn on a range of skills, from bid writing to delivering multi-funded, multi-faceted projects, through to using technology to capture information and present it in a media-friendly format.

For heritage projects that require you to work with partner organisations, it’s always wise to learn how your particular ‘bit’ fits with the wider agenda. Being able to operate in a ‘political’ atmosphere is a huge bonus. Learning how to fight your corner and argue your case, especially during times of spending cuts and budget squeezes, are essential skills for those aspiring to secure a management position.

Due to a unique skill of being one a small number of people able to translate Sanskrit I’ve been able undertake projects as a freelance consultant, working for a wide range of clients in the UK and beyond. Clients have included museums, private collectors, consultancy firms, university departments and researchers. Depending on what career pathway you’re interested in, having the ability to build a reputation in a particular field or discipline is a good way forward and provides for future flexibility.

I have just started a PGCE which, long term, will allow me to move into a position of being able to teach and thereby achieve a personal goal of being able to give something back and to support new students coming into the heritage sector.