Collections interns at Charleston

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 18th March 2026

Salary: From 1 April 2026, £12.71 per hour

Location: Primarily based at Charleston in Firle (BN8 6LL), with some work also required at Charleston in Lewes (BN7 1FB).

Reporting to: Collections Audit Officer

Contract: Fixed Term - 6 Months

Hours: 35 hours, Monday to Friday

Get hands-on experience in the museum sector, learning collections care and best practice while supporting Charleston’s archive relocation.

Join us at an exciting time as we prepare to relocate Charleston’s collection from Firle to a new accessible home in Lewes. We are recruiting four interns over a 12 month period, with two interns joining at each intake (June and December 2026). Applications are invited for the June 2026 intake. Deadlines for subsequent intakes will be published in due course.

Charleston was the home and studio of the painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. It was a space where some of the 20th century’s most radical artists and writers gathered together, known collectively as the Bloomsbury group. The collection consists of over 15,000 objects, full of works by the Bloomsbury group such as paintings, drawings, ceramics, and sketchbooks, as well as books,
letters and photographs.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain your first experience in a museum or gallery environment, learning practical skills in collection care and best practice. We welcome applicants with transferable skills, curiosity, and a passion for working with objects. No previous museum experience required! This role is made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to develop our long-term plans for Charleston in Lewes to create a permanent cultural centre for the town including the establishment of the National Bloomsbury Gallery.

These internships are for anyone who has had no prior paid-work experience in a museum or gallery setting, other than a visitor assistant or front of house role. If you’re unsure about your eligibility, please contact: jobs@charleston.org.uk

Key Responsibilities

On the job training will be provided to help the intern carry out the following tasks;

• Assisting with the audit of Charleston’s collection, carefully reviewing and recording information.
• Maintaining up-to-date object information in the collections database.
• Carrying out basic condition checks and identify objects that may require conservation.
• Developing understanding of best practice and sector policies such as the Museums Association Code of Ethics.
• Contributing to records management for internal and external reporting.
  

Who we are looking for

Essential

• An interest in cultural heritage, archives, or collections.
• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Willingness to learn about best practices and procedures for collections care.
• Good digital skills and willingness to learn about data entry.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.