Art Fund Vivmar curatorial trainee

Closing date: 24th December 2024

Salary: £27,528 - £28,500 per annum

Contract: Fixed term for 22 months

Hours: 36 hours per week, full time 

Location: Role will be based primarily in South Kensington, London with 6 months in Leeds

Curious about curation? Passionate about contemporary sculpture? Don't miss this 22-month traineeship based in London and Leeds.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, in partnership with Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute, is seeking to appoint an Art Fund Vivmar Foundation Trainee (fixed term, 22 months). The Art Fund Vivmar Foundation Traineeships are generously supported by The Vivmar Foundation, launching a new initiative to encourage diversity in the recruitment of curatorial staff.

During the 22-month programme, the trainee will spend a total of 16 months at the V&A South Kensington forming part of the team responsible for the care, research, display, and interpretation of the collections of the Decorative Art and Sculpture Department. The post-holder will work particularly on the development, display and interpretation of contemporary sculpture in addition to building core museum collections management experience. 

The Art Fund Vivmar Curatorial Trainee will also spend 6 months based at the Leeds Art Gallery where they will work with the team there and the Henry Moore Institute as part of the longstanding partnership between the two organisations. They could also be involved in projects related to the Yorkshire Sculpture International at Leeds Art Gallery and/or the Henry Moore Institute.

Key activities

Deepening knowledge

• Demonstrating interest in a curatorial specialism in one area of the V&A's collections, namely contemporary sculpture, and enthusiasm for learning from the work of established specialists; applying intellectual curiosity and critical thinking to developing knowledge of contexts for objects and collections and stories they might tell.
• Developing understanding of the Museum collections management systems and documentation and their research potential.
• Developing understanding of the range of scholarship in the specialist field; developing personal links with colleagues in regional and international museums

Collecting

• Learning about Museum Collections Management processes
• Learning about processing acquisitions and loans into the collections
• Learning about collections through day-to-day handling of objects; taking responsibility for object movement and appropriate documentation; assisting with programmes of improvement to collections care; developing awareness of museum ethics
• Developing knowledge of documentation in the department; undertaking cataloguing, documentation and digitisation of collections; assisting in the production of labels and interpretation; devising efficient ways to organise information and make it accessible to others
• Dealing with routine enquiries and assisting in providing access to objects in reference collections and study rooms; supervising visitors

Presenting and interpreting collections

• Participating in the development of permanent and temporary displays, using subject and collections knowledge; checking galleries and organising relevant maintenance in collaboration with Conservation and Collections Care & Access
• Participating in the development of exhibitions as required
• Participating in the development of material for publication in print and online; broadening understanding of how to enhance the museum's reputation through strong narratives and engaging storytelling; contributing to photography and digitisation programmes
• Collaborating with colleagues in Learning on the development of their programmes; contributing content as required
• Representing V&A through participation in professional and social networks and visits

Innovating

• Understanding museum policies, strategies and priorities and contributing to the development of new policies and plans as required; developing awareness of developments and changes in the wider museum community
• Understanding the suite and scope of museum projects and public programmes and contributing as required
• Contributing to National and International programmes and partnerships as required

Team playing and achieving

• Playing an active role in the communities of participation across all the curatorial teams
• Undertaking projects or responsibilities as delegated by senior colleagues which will change from time to time

What you'll bring

• Demonstrable interest in sculpture from study, practice or observation
• A demonstrable interest in, and enthusiasm for telling stories about collections.  Responsiveness to opening up the collections to a broad audience, including non-traditional users
• Ability to collaborate as part of a team and to work flexibly and calmly under pressure
• Practical and organisational skills with a keen attention to detail, particularly record keeping
• Highly motivated and able to demonstrate initiative
•  A demonstrable interest in the history of art, design and performance
• Experience of communicating clearly, with the ability to adapt your communication style for different groups
• Demonstrates flexibility and the ability to manage multiple tasks

At the V&A, we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for all and strive to go above and beyond public duty placed upon us by the Equality Act 2010. As such, we are delighted to share that we are a Disability Confident Employer Level 2. We actively encourage applications from those people who have traditionally not considered working with us especially those from diverse and marginalised groups.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.