2023
The Roman Society is pleased to invite applications for its 2023 Museum & Heritage Summer Placement Scheme. The placements may be held at the following museums / heritage organisations listed below.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/corbridge-roman-town-hadrians-wall/
The successful candidate will work on an aspect of the Hadrian’s Wall Collections with English Heritage.
The successful candidate will work with Andrew Parkin, Keeper of Archaeology, on the collections and gain an insight into the varied tasks of working in a museum.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to complete work on three different tasks to enable the completion of museum or virtual exhibitions on Roman Britain: 1) historical and/or archaeological research on Roman Britain; 2) the preparation of the interpretation materials for the public, for example, graphic display panels, web articles or reconstruction drawings; 3) shadowing a historian at project meetings and help prepare internal project documents. These examples are indicative and the location, format and expected outputs of the placement programme will be determined by project timings and requirements, and a discussion with the candidate about their interests and skills.
This placement offers the opportunity to gain experience in digital classics research. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to implement a small, supervised but independent piece of work involving the photography, 3D imaging and cataloguing of antiquities in the ICS's Ehrenberg Collection. Advanced digital skills are not a requirement, but familiarity with basic tools such as spreadsheets, database tables and/or digital photography would be an advantage.
The successful candidate will work on a small gallery project. There will be plenty of opportunity to work with curators, collections managers, and of course, with the artefacts.
It is expected that the successful candidate will work on increasing awareness of and access to the Corinium Museum’s epigraphy collections. So often, museum visitors walk past Roman stone work, ceramic or tiles with interesting lettering but with no idea about what the words might mean. The placement will encompass a mixture of research into the epigraphy on display, development of an information leaflet, public facing engagement and digital engagement.
Corinium Museum is an award winning museum managing archaeological collections of national importance. It holds large internationally significant collections of archaeology, social and rural history. The Service also runs a Visitor Information Centre. Corinium Museum has arguably the finest and most extensive Romano-British collection relating to a town and its hinterland in the world. It forms the major part of the only museum service in the Cotswold District and is the focus for advice, training, and scholarship. A recent NLHF project saw the prehistory and early Roman collections come to the fore in stunning new galleries celebrating the wealth of archaeology across the Cotswold district. The Museum Service is fully accredited. The key mission of the museum is to be a leading archaeology museum that continues to evolve.
A placement is on offer to develop the interpretation of the epigraphy collections in the museum displays. Interpretation and engagement can take many forms and we will be encouraging the use of a variety of tools to increase awareness and interest in Roman epigraphic collections by museum visitors. The placement candidate will develop an information leaflet about Roman epigraphy. There is an opportunity to include object drawings, if the candidate has artistic ability, or object photographs to illustrate the leaflet. The placement candidate will create and trial a 30-minute highlight tour, showcasing different stone or ceramic artefacts around the museum galleries, building on public engagement with epigraphic collections. There will be an opportunity to share information about the collection digitally, through the museum website by writing a blog post, through social media channels reporting on interesting research uncovered, and through creating films about the objects, which can be showcased on the Corinium Museum Youtube and Tiktok channels, helping to raise digital awareness of the Roman collections.
The ideal candidate will have a passion for the Roman period and enthusiasm for engaging people with museum collections. A background or interest in Latin, Classics, Archaeology or specifically Roman stonework, would be beneficial to the role. You will be a creative person who is keen to maximise immersive opportunities for museum visitors and sees value in providing online learning to complement the museum visit and promote museum collections to digital audiences. You will have some knowledge of the role museums play in engaging and educating a wide range of people. Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills are required alongside proficient IT skills. You will be an excellent communicator working within a team and also independently at times.
How to Apply
- The dates of the placements may be determined by consultation between the successful candidates and institutions but are usually for 2-3 weeks during the summer vacation.
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All Undergraduate and Masters students are eligible to apply.
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Bursaries of £300 will be offered as a contribution towards travel or living expenses.
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Candidates should apply by letter setting out their reasons for wishing to undertake a placement and outlining any previous experience.You should also provide the name and email address of a referee.You may specify the Museum or organisation you would prefer to be based at, or submit an open application.
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Queries and letters of application should be addressed to the Secretary, Dr Fiona Haarer, and sent by email by 19 May, 2023 to: office@romansociety.org
Reports
Read reports from previous bursary holders here.