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Curator of European Modern Collection 1800 to presentBritish Museum
23 days ago
  • LevelMid Level
  • ProfessionsCurator, Project Manager, Administrator
  • TypeFull Time
  • LocationLondon, United Kingdom

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Description

Closing Date: 25-Nov-2024

About the role:
Presenting history through objects is key to all curatorial roles at the British Museum. The holder of this senior post in the Department of Britain, Europe & Prehistory will have a strong foundation in European history from 1800 to the present and an established track-record of questioning material culture to locate the histories of European peoples, places and events in their global, cultural, and historical contexts by working with museum professionals and other experts.
The job holder needs some specialist knowledge of one or more categories of objects in the collection which encompasses decorative and applied arts, glass, gold, silver and other metalsmiths’ work, industrial and studio ceramics, traditional textiles, basketry, and woodwork. Objects demonstrating the reception of earlier periods and other cultures, oftentimes relating to international archaeological milestones, are a particular strength. Judaica, the material culture of British and colonial administrations, artefacts made and used by traditional communities, and objects reflecting the experience of Europeans outside Europe form other elements. Objects in the permanent collection are documented and digitised. Their variety can be appreciated through searching Collection Online on the Museum’s website.
The jobholder is expected to be a recognized authority on European history in the range 1800 to the present. They will draw upon this knowledge to curate, research, document, display and expand the Museum’s collection in support of the Museum Operating Plan and relevant Museum strategies. An ability to encourage, communicate and combine archaeological, anthropological, historical, curatorial, conservation, and scientific perspectives is needed. Core tasks will include original research, making the collection accessible and critical expert participation in the Museum Masterplan. The successful applicant must be able to contribute to discussions of subjects relating to empire, colonialism, enslavement, and decolonization within the Museum and beyond.
Opportunities exist to develop the section through internally and externally funded research projects, and to use hypothecated funds to expand this section of BEP’s work. The curator of later European history will be required to assess the potential and limits of the existing permanent collections and will be entrusted with establishing a contemporary collection through which future generations will be able to illustrate the history of today.
Key areas of responsibility:
  • To generate and lead new research projects in support of the Research and Display Strategies
  • To lead major cross-museum permanent exhibition projects as part of the Museum’s Masterplan to re-display the collections in the light of 21st century thinking with a greater focus on Empire and its legacies.
  • To build the collections as necessary in support of the of the Acquisition Strategy and in relation to the Masterplan.
  • To integrate traditional, regional and minority material cultures into these new displays to create a holistic view of European culture and the ways in which the modern world has both exploited and been inspired by traditional crafts.
  • To document the collections to a high standard following best practice, cataloguing objects digitally on the collection database with image taking and uploading as necessary, as well as maintaining essential paper records.
  • To work with the relevant teams within the museum on care of the collections, their storage, display, and conservation.
About you:
  • Good first degree in a relevant humanities subject, e.g. history, art history, social history, politics, anthropology
  • Externally recognised authority in a relevant subject area
  • Fluency in English and knowledge of another European/relevant language
  • Experience of display, research, cataloguing, publication, and public speaking such as lectures, gallery talks or broadcast projects.
  • Experience of digital and social media
  • Experience of managing in curatorial or university context
  • Experience managing and leading major research or curatorial project teams (desirable)
  • Ability to lead with internal and external stakeholders across the museum and academic worlds (desirable)
About the British Museum:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is one of the leading visitor attractions and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, the Admonitions Scroll, the Holy Thorn Reliquary and the Royal Gold Cup.
The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:
  • Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays.
  • Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
  • Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
  • Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
  • Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans
  • Professional and personal development opportunities
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Discounts on food and gift shop purchases
Additional details:
For more information about this role, please see the job description.
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of in order to support you with your application, please provide details to bmrecruit@britishmuseum.org.
We have a legal responsibility to ensure that employees have the right to work in the UK. If you currently do not hold the right to work in the UK, we can only sponsor a limited number of roles that meet eligibility criteria. To offer a sponsorship, the job role you apply needs to be in the list of eligible occupations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations. Additionally (with some limited exceptions), the role will need to meet the minimum salary threshold of £38,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is the highest. You can find more information here: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job
The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.
We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organization. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you.
The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.

Skills Required

  • Curation
  • Social Media
  • Cataloging

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