I’m a museum curator. AMA

[ACurator]

I’ll happily answer questions about working at a museum, working as a curator, or anything you’ve ever wanted to know about what goes on behind the scenes.

I don’t want to be identified so may be vague when it comes to specifics about where I work or exactly what type of collection I work with (though I’ve worked in quite a few different areas so I can probably answer questions on most things!)

I work at a fairly large museum in a big UK city which I’m sure many of you will have been to.

Fire away!

This is my dream job but I am in NI so very little chance it will happen.

What qualifications do you have/need?

I have a degree but not related to this area.

Hi housewifeoflittleitaly. It is my dream job too! Took me a little while to get here but it was totally worth it so don’t write it off just yet!

Nowadays most curators have postgrad degrees, at least Masters if not PhDs, and PhDs seem to be increasingly the norm. This wasn’t always the case and many of the older, long-standing curators I meet only have undergraduate degrees, but as competition for jobs increases it seems that postgrad qualifications are being used to narrow the pool down.

This is obviously problematic as it means the job is off-limits to people who can’t afford further study BUT I do think the wind is starting to change and we’re seeing more and more apprenticeships and other routes which don’t require specific qualifications. This is great news!

To be perfectly honest, day to day you really don’t ‘need’ any specific qualification as most of what we do you learn on the job!

What has been your favourite exhibit? Are there any collections which are always more popular with the public?

Hi LunaMay. I know it’s a cliche but I really can’t pick a favourite! I think the great thing about being a curator is you get to learn a lot about the individual objects that you spend time with, and sometimes the most interesting things aren’t always the most obvious ones.

The public love anything to do with royalty (past or present!) and always want to know if we have things belonging to do with particular kings and queens. And dinosaurs, of course. Everyone loves dinosaurs!

Apprenticeships?

I've got a bright 15 year old with an encyclopaedic interest in a field with no direct access (entomology).

Apprenticeships via museums, you mean?

am I part of a tiny minority in missing the old days of museums and galleries being quiet spaces with non-interactive exhibits?

vivarium yes indeed! I’m not an expert on this but it’s definitely something to look into. There are various government schemes and things going on which are encouraging museums to offer more diverse routes into the sector. Have a look at the Museums Association website as a starting point, perhaps.

Grace you’re definitely not alone! It’s a common complaint and I do think it’s a valid one. I think interactive exhibits are great and we need to make sure we’re catering to a wide audience who might have a wide range of different needs and learning styles. But not every gallery or exhibition needs to be filled with noise and flashing lights!

Amazing, thank you so much. Honestly. That is a gift for her.

What are the most annoying things that visitors to the museum do?

vivarium I would get her to write to some local museums with relevant collections and see if she can get some shadowing or work experience. But do get her to do it herself! Museums get so many ‘can my son/daughter have work experience’ emails and they rarely get you anywhere. But a nice letter from your daughter about how passionate she is about the subject, addressed to the right person (so find the name of a curator/conservator or department head) might well get her a look-in.

Also, even if entomology is her passion she shouldn’t rule out work experience or jobs in other areas of museum work. And there are many more jobs than just ‘curator’ too!

Another one interested in the apprenticeships!!

What was your career route OP?

Hi, would you say that museum education is a feasible field to enter into, for a late 40s graduate? I work in exhibition curation and organisation, but not it the Uk Here in BLEEP country, it is a very ageist field, ie, no job opps for females over 35+. Can you suggest any interim postgrad ( even online) courses appropriate to your position / line of work that you would be impressed to see on a CV if you were a recruiter? thanks so much!

Sparklingbrook Ha! If you can imagine it, someone has probably done it. Not just touching objects but literally shaking them, prodding them or even licking them (I kid you not!)

My personal peeve, though, is people who stop me in the galleries to tell me a toilet cubicle has run out of paper and then seem outraged that I can’t immediately go and personally restock it. I do always politely say I’ll let the cleaners know right away but that’s not good enough for some people!

That, and giving me an incredibly vague description of an object they’re sure they saw here once in 1995 and then being annoyed I can’t immediately direct them to it.

OMG licking the exhibits.

I thought you would probably get lots of daft questions, or maybe someone trying to catch you out with your knowledge or something.

I would imagine you get lots if nice visitors to compensate.

Ok - what’s your view on the Elgin Marbles and other similar relics... whether you regard them as plunder or legitimately bought, is it now time to return them whence they came now in most cases their preservation can be guaranteed?

More great questions! I have to get back to work but I’m not ignoring them I promise, I’ll be back later to answer some more.

Have you ever spent a night in a museum? Were you scared? DD has often said she would love to do this.

Have you ever spent a night in a museum? Were you scared? DD has often said she would love to do this.

This is my DDs dream job. She is doing an Anthropology degree at the moment and her dissertation as i understand it is around museums and cultural heritage. I think she plans to do a Masters afterwards. Do you know where the best place to go to do one might be? She is Bristol at the moment but would go anywhere. I am assuming she has a good idea already but she tells me NOTHING! It would be good to be forearmed with info. Thanks,

I have real envy, working in a museum is my dream job.

What is the worst aspect of working in a museum? And the best?

Have Scooby Doo and Shaggy ever uncovered a real-life mystery in your museum?

Apollo the museology MA at UEA used to be very highly regarded, but I'm going back years I admit

@Obloodyhell
Keeping it a little vague... I have undergrad and postgrad qualifications in arts-related subjects where I got to do a museum placement as part of my studies (which was invaluable!) I worked in front-of-house jobs in museums before getting my 'big break' into a collections-based role. Nowadays people do tend to move around a lot more than you might think, so it can be helpful to be open-minded about the kinds of objects/collections that you want to work with.

@Uptheshard
Really not my area of expertise, I'm afraid! But I feel like some general experience in education (e.g. teaching experience or qualifications) would be a huge bonus. Museum education doesn't just mean teaching kids, of course, but I guess some experience of running workshops or working with different communities would be good. Not sure about specific courses but I know FutureLearn often has some great ones.

@Sparklingbrook
Yes, the majority of visitors are lovely! Although I don't work front-of-house (any more) so I don't encounter lots of visitors on a daily basis. I love walking through the museum now and seeing the different ways that people react to things on display!

@eponine8
I think this is a topic that's very poorly represented in the press/media - for a start, the British Museum/Greece seems to be held up as the ultimate example of this when there are some much more problematic objects in other museums. I also think people have a very warped perception of how curators and other museum workers actually feel about those issues. The majority of museum professionals have a far more sympathetic view than you might imagine! Most people I've spoken to about this actually agree that returning objects is the ideal, but there are a lot of complications (legal, practical, ethical) that make it far less straightforward than people realise.

@NameChanger22
Not overnight, no. I have been in many museum after-hours though, and it can be a little eerie! But it's amazing at the same time, I still get goosebumps thinking 'I can't believe i'm allowed to be here!'

ApolloandDaphne My info is a bit out of date on this one, but I know there are good Museums Studies courses at Leicester, UCL, Newcastle, Glasgow and maybe St Andrews? There are probably others I haven't thought of. It seems to be becoming a really popular course. She shouldn't just restrict herself to Museum courses, though, as depending on the type of work she wants to do a Masters in a specific subject area (e.g. Anthropology) might be more appropriate. I would recommend trying to find one that gives some practical experience (e.g a placement) as well as theory.

Myfanwyprice The best aspect is being able to get up-close and personal with some amazing historic objects. I still get a little thrill every time I'm allowed to pick something up! The worst aspect is, sadly, the pay - it's atrocious.

feesh Not that I know of! But there are plenty of mysteries to be found in museums (usually random objects in stores where the labels have fallen off and no one knows what they're supposed to be)

Why do you need a degree specifically?