Curator

About the role

This occupation is found in accredited museums, galleries or organisations such as local authorities, universities, historic environments and properties or trusts, with art, natural history or cultural collections which are accessible to the public. They may work with collections, built heritage, or the natural and historic environments.The size of the organisation that a Curator may work in varies from large national organisations employing hundreds of specialised staff to local organisations employing 1 or 2 staff with multiple responsibilities.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to research, understand, develop and interpret collections, themes or subjects e.g. historic buildings, natural and historic environments, to make these accessible to wide ranging and diverse public or private audiences. This ensures that collections, themes or subjects are kept accessible and safe guards them for future generations.

The Curator’s activities support the audiences’ development of knowledge by captivating their interest in collections or places. They communicate information to them in a wide variety of ways including developing narratives through displays, exhibitions, public events, digital media methods and publications to bring to life collections both modern and/or ancient across a variety of subjects on a scale from paintings and sculpture to large scale vehicles and taxidermy’. Curators may be subject, collections or cultural asset specialists (such as historic places, folklore or oral history). They use this specialist knowledge and expertise to oversee the care of collections and ensure their long-term preservation. Where further expertise or support is required, they may use their personal networks of other specialists.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with the public. They might also work with:

• Technical colleagues (internal/external) e.g. Conservators, Registrars, Technicians, Project Managers, Designers
• Internal engagement colleagues e.g. marketers, business development, learning & engagement, visitor experience, security, volunteers
• External organisations e.g. local authorities, other museums (local/national/international), funding bodies. local and national Government, subject specialist networks, private sector.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for researching, understanding, interpreting and developing collections, themes or subjects to make these accessible to wide and diverse public or private audiences. They may manage the projects, including timescales, budgets, deliverables and interfaces associated with these activities which may include internal and external stakeholders. Curators advise and make recommendations to technicians, conservators and operational colleagues such as building managers in order to inform them about collections and provide better care and display. This supports and builds the capability of colleagues to make effective decisions in relation to the care of collections and to ensure the adherence to appropriate standards and accreditation requirements. Depending on the organisation, they would report to the Head of Collections, Chief Curator, Directors of Service/Departments or the organisation’s Chief Executive, Art Directors, Heads of Research, or a private collection owner or Board. Depending on the scale of the organisation, they may manage volunteer and or internal staff and the majority of their work is either working autonomously e.g. collections activities or with project teams e.g. to deliver exhibitions.

Entry requirements

Employers will specify their own entry requirements, which may include a degree or the equivalent level of knowledge and thinking ability gained through experience.

Entry requirements are ultimately set by each employer — treat these as the baseline, not the bar.