We are looking for a Community Curator to work in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme for 6 months
Appetite and the Brampton Museum & Art Gallery are working together to offer opportunities to curators, artists, and audiences to have access to local heritage and collections and to create new exhibitions or artworks as a response.
Appetite’s mission for our work in Newcastle-under-Lyme is to get more people in the area to experience and be inspired by the arts. Working to make sure the arts and culture is accessible to those who don’t regularly attend. We do this by working in partnership and by developing members of the community as decision-makers.
Brampton Museum & Art Gallery’s mission is to collect and represent the history of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme through the objects, images and information we gather.
There has been a museum in Newcastle for over 75 years. The collections (like in most museums) started with high-status objects such as grand oil paintings and historic manuscripts often donated by wealthy people. Many of the objects are Victorian and early to mid-20th century and represent local industries, national events and notable people of the past.
Increasingly we have been collecting objects from people from all walks of life; for instance, we have a wonderful collection of photographs and documents relating to the ‘slum’ clearances from the 1930s-60s.
Appetite is an action research programme funded by Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme and with that spirit we’re working together to try a new way of approaching developing new exhibitions and activities connected to the National Lottery Heritage Fund capital project underway at the Brampton Museum site.
Together we want to create new exhibitions, temporary collections of objects and stories about the heritage of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme that is representative of the people growing up, living, studying, working and more within the last 50 years.
The opportunity:
For our second project together we are looking for an aspiring curator to find objects, information and stories (which can include oral histories, images and films) to help us with this mission. The projects we want to develop will take a new approach to collecting by working directly with our local communities; collecting objects and stories relating to local people within their living memory.
We’d love to see some non-traditional museum themes being brought to life. This should include stories and objects belonging to people that haven’t been to the museum before. Together with fresh eyes we want to know what people in the Borough do and how do or did they live and how could this be shown in the museum and on the high street through Newcastle Common?
This is our first project of this nature, and we’re hoping for more.
What would we like to happen from the project?
- Long term links with Appetite and Brampton Museum & Art Gallery and contacts from our local communities especially those who don’t typically visit the museum, engage with heritage or the arts.
- To help change perceptions of the museum, heritage and the arts for people who rarely or never visit by developing relevant displays with the people who know about them.
- Our Community Curator would facilitate the loans from the people involved with a view to collecting some items for Brampton Museum’s collections along with the stories discovered.
What we’re looking for:
We’re looking for a Community Curator to take up a residency with us for six months.
You will:
- carry out the research and development of a heritage project in partnership with and supported by the Appetite and Brampton Museum & Gallery teams.
- develop and curate a thematic exhibition from your research to take place over two sites: Newcastle Common in Newcastle Town Centre and Brampton Museum & Art Gallery using objects and stories collected with and for the community.
- create a moment of celebration with those who are part of the process at the venues.
- collaborate with an artist to document the process of the project.
- participate in evaluation and sharing learning from the project.
Experience & Interests:
- You will be interested in people and their stories: you will be willing and able to talk and engage, develop professional relationships with local people for the project and partners.
- An interest in heritage, culture, local history, arts and a passion for working with our local communities.
- Be able to work independently, with communities and with the Appetite and Brampton Museum team.
How to apply:
We want to hear from and are committed to working with the most diverse range of people possible.
This opportunity is not designed for anyone with a museum or artistic curating background (although might be of interest to them), and it is why we’re offering a support structure for the project.
We want the process to be as simple as possible. With one sheet of A4 please:
- tell us about you;
- your interest in the project; and
- your approach.
Please email this information to askus@appetitestoke.co.uk with the subject heading ‘Community Curator’ by 10am on 16 July.
Fee:
The total fee is £7,740. We estimate this to be between 31-52 days subject to negotiation. Please indicate your daily rate. Days would be worked over a six month period.
Additional budget for exhibition, community meetings and refreshments and travel is: £2,100.
The documentation artist fee does not come from this budget.
VAT is included in all of our workings.
Other things available as part of the project is: at venue – display cases, exhibition hanging, and tech support. Use of Newcastle Common as a base and office space.
Details:
This is an opportunity for those who are self-employed and should take place alongside any other work you are currently involved with.
We have estimated the number of days the project will take over the six-month period.
Application Deadline: 16 July, 10am
Project start: August/September – February 2022 (with some flexibility)
What Appetite and Brampton are offering:
- Training in museum processes including researching, cataloguing, loaning and accessioning objects.
- Guidance on how to curate an accessible display at the Brampton Museum & in a shop unit.
- Support with community engagement through Appetite’s team and approach.
- Newcastle Common can be a place for you to host group meetings, meet with individuals and be a base, if required.
- Project development support and mentoring from both organisations.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Appetite
Featured image by Clara Lou Photography
