Museum/gallery curator
A museum or gallery curator acquires, cares for, develops, displays and interprets a collection of artefacts or works of art in order to inform, educate and entertain the public.
Increasingly, the job role has expanded to include other activities, such as public relations, marketing, fundraising and education programmes. Curators are expected to prepare budgets and build relationships with both internal and external partners and stakeholders.
The role is no longer a purely academic research position and depending on the size of the institution, curators may be required to get involved in all aspects of the museum or gallery, including the visitor experience, human resources and finance.
There is a growing need for museums, galleries, heritage and tourism attractions to develop collaborative relationships and share collections, as well as their expertise. It is essential that curators construct innovative and creative exhibitions which appeal to a wide cross-section of the general public.
Typical work activities include:
The Heritage Lottery Fund has had a major impact on the world of museums and galleries and, as a result, more and more time is being spent on the financial aspects of running a department or enterprise. This means that curators have less time available for managing collections, and the research element of their job, which used to be central, is only likely to come into play in preparation for exhibitions or in response to public enquiries.
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, the following subjects may increase your chances of entry to the profession:
Entry is not possible with an HND only; a good honours degree is the minimum academic entry requirement.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is essential and usually a PhD in your specialism or a Masters/Diploma in Museum Studies is required. Previous work experience in the sector is usually preferred for entry on to postgraduate courses. See the Museums Association (MA) website for information on courses.
Pre-entry work experience is crucial, both to gain experience and to help build up a network of useful contacts. When looking for voluntary work, check out opportunities with local museums and galleries, The National Trust , heritage organisations and the British Association of Friends of Museums . Museums Galleries Scotland will advise on voluntary work and has a useful website.
Candidates seeking senior posts will need to show evidence of the following:
Competition for entry-level jobs is very intense and staff turnover is low. Candidates should be prepared to be flexible in terms of geographical location and be prepared to do voluntary work whilst still a student.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
The Museums Association (MA) offers several continuing professional development (CPD) schemes for its members: Associateship of the Museums Association (AMA), Fellowship of the Museums Association (FMA) and the CPD Plus.
These schemes are designed for those already working in the sector, be that full-time, part-time, paid or unpaid, as a consultant or trustee.
There are several routes to achieve the AMA. All require a commitment of 70 hours of CPD, to be completed over a two-year period, with support of experienced museum staff, as mentors.
Recently, the MA has been restructured to address two key issues: 1) the exclusion of those with relevant experience gained in other sectors e.g. archives, libraries or higher education; 2) the reduction of trainee posts where expertise is learnt on the job.
Senior and experienced staff members can apply for Fellowship which aims to recognise and encourage an advanced level of professional contribution, development and achievement. Preferably applicants should be Associates. Associates and Fellows who wish to continue their professional development can do so via the Museum Association's CPD Plus scheme.
A variety of in-service courses are also run by area museum councils, the Museum Association, specialist groups and private training providers. Many such courses are available to voluntary staff.
There are 1,500 museums in the UK ranging from large government-funded museums, to university museums down to small, volunteer-run, charitable trust museums, in which over 5,000 professionals work.
There is now a real need for museum staff to manage their own careers which, given appropriate experience and contacts, may include freelance and consultancy work. Staff may also move between sectors, particularly at senior managerial or specialist technical level. Ongoing promotion is likely to be into broader-based management roles, such as director of leisure or cultural services.
There is also a trend for senior management posts to be filled from outside the museum sector and this has undoubtedly been the case for some service and commercial posts. Management responsibilities are often wide-ranging and may include publicity and promotional activities as well as human resource functions such as recruitment and the supervision and training of staff.
In addition, budgeting, financial management and income generation through fund-raising, entry fees and retailing, can all be essential aspects of a promoted post. While many museums do not make a charge for entry, the value for money they give in terms of cost per visitor per year is subject to careful scrutiny.
Further gaps have been identified as the need for museums to develop and extend links with higher education institutions and university museums. Future museum curators will need to develop the professional skills and competencies which will enable them to develop these links and promote collaborative research projects.
There are numerous galleries and museums throughout the United Kingdom, some with specialist collections, others displaying a more diverse range of artefacts and exhibits.
Large national institutions, such as The British Museum , the National Gallery , the National Museums Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland , employ hundreds of people in a variety of specialist roles, while some local galleries and museums may only have one professional member of staff and rely heavily on the support of volunteers.
More than 300 universities have galleries and museums, and these include some major public institutions such as the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the The Hunterian in Glasgow.
Staff based in local authority museums are often employed by the leisure or education department. The collections held by these museums tend to reflect the history, industrial heritage or landscape of the locality.
Nationwide, there are over 1,500 independent museums and most of these are run as charitable concerns. They range from very small organisations set up by individual enthusiasts and run by volunteers, to large, regional and national establishments. See the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) website for more information.
The sector also includes the Armed Forces, who have national museums with professional staff as well as regimental museums, usually run by former officers.
There are also opportunities to work in specialist museums, sometimes run by commercial organisations, and also with private collections.
Also, look at education supplements, especially for education, research and technical appointments as well as leisure publications, such as Leisure Management .
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