Graduate Intern (Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions)

Durham University
Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.
The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.
Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.
It is expected that all staff within the University:
• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.
The Department

In January 1833 Bishop William van Mildert donated 160 volumes to found the University Library, located on Palace Green and in the same year Durham’s first university museum opened to the public. Today the University Library and Collections offers spaces, collections, expertise and services supporting education, research, the wider student experience and cultural and educational outreach. Collections and services operate across a wide estate of libraries, archives, museums, galleries and exhibition spaces, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site on Palace Green. Our nationally and internationally recognised collections span early books, archives and manuscripts, museum objects and art, print and electronic materials and include a repository of digitised materials, research outputs and research data. Our users encompass anyone engaging with our collections, services and facilities in person or remotely, this includes university staff, researchers from around the globe, students in higher education from Durham and other universities, school pupils and teachers, Durham’s local residents and tourists.

We are an ambitious and developing team with a focus on providing the best experience for our students, researchers and the wider community. We are valued partners working with students, professional services and academics across the University, and professionals and organisations regionally, nationally and internationally.

The University Library and Collections is made up of six sections: Collections; Customer Services; Education, Learning and Engagement; Research and Systems; Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions; and Finance and Administration. Staff work flexibly between the sections, 7 enabled by cross-cutting groups, Collections, Education, Engagement, User Experience, Operations, Research, Staff Development and a Programme and Project Steering Group.

Library and Collections Internships are intended for graduates, from any discipline, to serve as preparation to undertake a qualification in the fields relevant to ULC’s scope of work, or to apply for future roles in the sector. During the Internship the post holder will obtain experience of a particular area relating to libraries, archives and special collections, or museums within an HE environment. There will also been an opportunity to learn about other areas of work within University Library and Collections, managing and making accessible collections in support of teaching and learning, research and wider engagement.. Interns will establish and then work to fulfil a personal development plan, guided by their line manager and a separate mentor.  They will also be encouraged to keep a diary or other record of their experience and personal development .  A previous intern reports that “This internship has provided an opportunity to learn and develop both technical and person-centred skills, as well as allowing me to explore new passions and interests in a variety of different departments and roles within the Library.”
 

Summary

The Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions team is responsible for world-class museum and art collections, supporting their care, curation, and discovery, as well as facilitating public and research access to those collections. Our collections and spaces include the University’s largely modern and contemporary art collection, Oriental Museum, Museum of Archaeology (at Palace Green Library) and Durham Castle Museum. We work with pre-school children, primary and secondary schools, undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and the wider community through our creative programmes, and increasingly through digital engagement.

The intern will be involved in a wide range of activities to support the management of and access to the University Art Collection and associated student and public-facing visual arts programmes, including our annual Student Art Prize and Summer in the City Arts Festival.. They will play a key role in supporting such public engagement with the collection, assist with ongoing and project-based collections management work, and have the opportunity to gain experience of cataloguing methods and standards relating to museums and collections.

The Role Purpose and Activities

The intern will undertake a range of activities, delivering services to customers and gaining experience including some of the following:

• Providing direct customer service: by answering enquiries and processing requests from users, in person, online, and by telephone.
• Practical duties enabling access to collections, undertaking a range of collections care activities and retrieving and returning items from collections for use in research, teaching or engagement activities
• Providing support where necessary to student and public-facing activities including exhibition and engagement development and delivery and other visual art-based activities.
• Providing advice and responding to enquiries from users, including students, academics and wider public research communities, on the services and collections available, in cooperation with senior colleagues.
• Assisting with collections management work, undertaking technical tasks, such as creating and augmenting records relating to the Art Collection on our ADLIB database.
• Participating in short-term working groups and project work.
• Contributing to communications, social media activity, user-experience-related work and user engagement.
• Contributing to schools education, wider public engagement and related activities.
• Administrative activities in support of work areas described above.

They will also actively engage in staff development activities, including formal training sessions, reflection and self-directed learning, to develop skills and knowledge appropriate to the role and context of the internship. 

Specific role requirements

The intern role is fixed term from 1st September 2022 to 30th  September  2023 attracting a salary of £18,770 + cost of living increase per annum pro rata, plus 27 days holiday pro rata and excellent benefits.

This is a full-time post, working 35 hours per week with a holiday entitlement of 27 days per annum pro rata.

The work pattern of the role may include some weekend, evening and bank holiday work as business demands.

The post is based within the Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions Team and reports to the Curator, Contemporary Art. but the postholder may also work at other Library & Collection or Durham University sites.

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit:

The Realising Your Potential Approach criteria is for information only, but may be referred to during the interview process.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details:

For further information on the position or to arrange an informal discussion please contact either:

• Alix Collingwood-Swinburn, Curator, Contemporary Art
• [email protected]

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria