LOCATION: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
JOB TYPE: Part-time, 221/2 hours per week. 12-month fixed-term contract
SALARY: £18,524 per annum
CLOSING DATE: 5:00pm BST, Monday 4 June 2018
INTERVIEWS: Week of 18 June 2018 (to be confirmed)
The Museum of Cambridge is situated in the heart of historic Cambridge and is based in a Grade II listed 17th century former coaching inn. Our collections represent Cambridge and Cambridgeshire history and heritage over 300 years, including objects related to everyday life, customs and traditions of local people, places and events.

Folklorist Enid Porter was our longest serving curator (1947-1976) and her work characterises our collection. She strove to collect and preserve local heritage for future generations, gathering stories and memories that give a unique insight into our city and county while also shaping modern English folklore studies.

Our Tracing Traditions project is guided by Enid’s vision and enthusiasm for working with people and objects to collect and remember local stories and traditions. The project asks how people remember and reinvent age-old traditions for our modern world? How does folklore influence the way we live? It explores these ideas and more by talking to local people and collecting stories, memories and experiences of customs, beliefs and traditions. Throughout this project we will be working in partnership with other Cambridgeshire museums including Cambridge Museum of Technology, Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey and Whittlesey Museum.

By working with communities to explore the Museum’s rich collections, and helping them to trace the meaning of collections and stories, this project will build on the Museum of Cambridge‘s important role as a home for local people and their traditions.

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Join us as we explore the ways that people remember old traditions and reinvent them for modern times, along with the influence that folklore has upon the way we live today.

We are looking for an organised and creative individual to coordinate partnership working and a range of participatory activities with our communities. The programme will engage our target audiences and build upon existing relationships with our peers in the very active museum and heritage sector in and around Cambridge. The role will support the development of training and resources for staff, volunteers and communities to build confidence and deepen understanding of our collections and local traditions. The role will plan and oversee the delivery of the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund funded Tracing Traditions project activity plan and report to Museum of Cambridge Board of Trustees.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Work with the Museum of Cambridge Board of Trustees and the Tracing Traditions Project Assistant to deliver Tracing Traditions Project activity plan;
  • Develop and coordinate a programme of activities that work with collections to explore local traditions, working with community collaborators and partner museums;
  • Work with the Board of Trustees and the Tracing Traditions Project Assistant to promote the activities and outputs of Tracing Traditions;
  • Work with Board of Trustees to coordinate staff and volunteer training to support the Tracing Traditions activity plan;
  • Manage the creation of physical and digital resources to support learning for schools and communities and ensure a lasting legacy for Tracing Traditions;
  • Coordinate the collection and collation of evaluation data from all related activities and produce regular progress reports for the Board of Trustees;
  • Reporting to our Treasurer, oversee the day to day management of the project budget;

The role is for a fixed term of 12 months and is subject to a three-month probationary period. It includes membership of a workplace pension scheme.

We are committed to the highest standards of employment practice, including equal opportunities for our workforce, volunteers and all sections of the community. If you would like to further information or an informal discussion about the post please e-mail opportunities@museumofcambridge.org.uk

DOWNLOAD:

About the Post (PDF) Job Description (PDF) Application Form (MS Word)

Esmee Fairbairn - Museum Association