Hi there, hope you’re week has been good. Mine certainly has! I’ve just started my first proper museum job. Doing museum admin, collections development, exhibition development and other museumy type things. I must say I am enjoying myself immensely and I am so happy that I don’t have to work in retail! YAY!

 

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program! Last week I visited the Museums & Heritage Show held in the Kensington Olympia. I was also volunteering as part of the GEM The Voice for Heritage Learning team at their stand at the show. GEM are a wonderful company based in Gillingham, Kent. I collate Irish Heritage News for them for use in their eNews.

As part of the GEM team at the show, I was responsible for giving out leaflets and informing curious show attendees about GEM’s ethos. I even managed to get two people signed up for membership!How about that!

Here’s me and the deputy director at the show (credit goes to GEM for this picture of yours truly!)

I had a wonderful time at the show and was also able to attend some of the talks. My favourite talk by far was by people who designed and curated The Hollywood Costume exhibition (see my review of said exhibition here and here!). It definitely gave me a lot of food for thought on how I would display costumes in my own practice.

I was also able to visit many of the stalls that were displaying at the Museums and Heritage Show. I was particularly interested in the Association of Independent Museums, an organisation that would be great for my new job! They help with training,networking, advice etc. for independent museums large and small up and down the UK and are a great organisation!

Over all, I had a great time at the M&H show and definitely would go back again next year, either as a volunteer or for my own personal pleasure (I am a museums geek you know!)