Social History Curator - Cheltenham, United Kingdom - The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum part of Cheltenham Trust

Description

The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum is a unique and established organisation which forms part of The Cheltenham Trust, a dynamic charitable organisation that manages five of Cheltenham's key culture and leisure venues.

The Wilson holds and manages the collections of Cheltenham Borough Council.

The Wilson's Collections are richly diverse from Old Masters to world cultures to the Designated Arts and Crafts Movement collection, painting and sculpture spanning four centuries, costume and têxtiles, decorative and applied art.

The social history collection tells the story of Cheltenham and the surrounding Cotswolds area from the Bronze Age, including the development of Cheltenham as a Spa Town, and collections relating to historically important Cheltenham-born scientist and artist Edward Adrian Wilson who was part of Scott's two expeditions to the Antarctic.

The Wilson Family Collection also relates to his father Edward Thomas Wilson, the founder of the Museum, and the wider Wilson family.

The Wilson also holds an important geology collection and Numismatics including a small but significant collection of local national and international coins and medals.

We are seeking a Social History Curator who will put audiences at the heart of everything they do and lead to a deeper understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the collections while providing a high standard of collections care.

You will ensure that content and collections are accessible, diverse, relevant and resonant with our audiences. Your love of history and collaborative story-telling through both physical and digital platforms will ignite enthusiasm in others.

The Social History curator is a critical role within the organisation, and through your work on our social history (including the Wilson Family Collection), world cultures and archaeology collections, will help us deliver our mission of making the collections accessible to diverse audiences through creative and participative programming.

Our temporary exhibition galleries are led by an Arts Advisory panel to ensure quality bench-marking in developing an internationally important exhibition programme.

The post-holder will deliver a major exhibition project focussing on the life and work of Edward Wilson and its impact on our understanding of the natural world.

The post-holder will also drive a body of work to reinterpret our collections, though research, consultation and in depth engagement with communities, leading to improved understanding of collections origins, and capturing history through alternative narratives and voices.

The redisplay of a number of collections galleries will be informed by this work and will form an important part of this role.

We are looking for someone with the experience, energy and drive to join us at this time of change.

You will be capable of developing and managing social history collections, working with a small team to support our community and events programme and learning activities and have a passion for engaging different audiences and exploring new ideas.

You'll be enterprising with good communication and networking skills, helping build relationships and partnerships with educators, local history groups, industry and community partners across the cultural sector in Cheltenham and our surrounding area of Gloucestershire.

• Closing date: Sunday 15 January 202
• Interviews expected: Thursday 26th January 2023

For more information or to access the Job Description for this role, please check out the Cheltenham Trust Job Page


How to apply:

Please send a CV and a covering letter telling us about your experience and your ambition for the role, by 5pm on Sunday 15 January 2023