entertaining your community

Introduction

There are many different kinds of museums throughout the country and people no longer visit them just to get out of the rain. From the Natural History Museum with its huge dinosaurs to the outdoor museum that features replicas of towns and machinery, houses and mines they hold a vast treasure trove of history. Museums are also centres of research and conservation.

Museum curators’ (also known as Keepers) work is extremely varied. They plan, design and mount displays and exhibitions, selecting from their own stored resources or borrowing from other establishments.

The post can be found in all types of authority except for county councils.

Work Environment

The work mostly takes place in the museum itself, but curators often go out to other venues to give talks and to study artifacts. There is a physical aspect to the job in that they help with carrying and mounting displays.

The hours are standard at 36 hours per week and will involve weekend and bank holiday work when exhibitions are being prepared and held.

Daily Activities

While the range of museums has expanded enormously with more and more full-scale models being prepared for the public to visit and recapture bygone days, the curators’ role has remained constant. They all collect and display objects of historic, cultural and scientific interest in order to inform and instruct. On a daily basis a curator’s work entails:

• establishing means to protect objects in their care and selecting those which are to be displayed – mummies need chemical treatment to stop them falling apart, for example
• after selection, objects are correctly labelled, properly catalogued, stored and cared for
• undertaking research and indentification to establish authenticity and provide as much information as possible about artefacts
• talking to visitors and answer questions from the public
• giving lectures/talks to local groups and helping with fund raising – budgets never meet aspirations.

Curators work closely with conservation officers and archeologists who care for a wide range of artefacts and exhibits – anything from bronze-age tools, pictures, wallpaper or costumes.

Skills & Interests

Curators will have:

• a deep interest in the past and our heritage
• a caring nature
• a commitment to education
• sensitivity
• intellectual curiosity
• practical skills
• patience
• good oral and written communication skills
• an eye for effective display
• managerial ability.

Entry Requirements

Curators are usually graduates and often have postgraduate qualifications. Preference is usually given to applicants with experience in museum work – often obtained on a voluntary basis. Entry routes Curatorial training covers 3 areas – academic (how to study and understand the collections); museological (how to care for and interpret the collections); and managerial (how to run the museum). There are 2 main methods of training:

• via a university full-or part-time postgraduate course in museum studies
• a small number of curatorial traineeships are available in some large museums.

NVQs are available at levels 2-5 (ie up to postgraduate level) for curatorial or conservation work. You can get into the museum service as a technician where no formal qualifications are required – though some kind of craft skill is sometimes asked for.

Estimated salary range

£23,000 - £30,000

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

Most towns and cities have museums and staffing will depend on size. Larger museums employ a Director and a team of curators, assistants and technicians. Promotion will probably be from a small museum to a larger one that will be more specialized. From there curators can progress to Directors – but a move is usually required for this to be possible. There are opportunities within private or national collections.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Entertaining Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Various museum journals

Creative and Cultural Industries www.cciskills.org.uk

Museums Association www.museumsassociation.org

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library - under K.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Museum Curator vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers - The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in - ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.