Meet our apprentices
Written by: Georgie Burgess, Digital Engagement Officer
From 10th - 16th February it's National Apprenticeship Week, and we want to shine a spotlight on our three amazing apprentices.
Read on to see what they have been up to over the course of their time with Kirklees Museums and Galleries.
Mae, Museum Technician Apprentice
I've been an apprentice with Kirklees Museums and Galleries for around 8 months now, considering it's over a third of my apprenticeship it's gone so quick. Before starting this apprenticeship, I had no idea the amount of time it took to take care of the collections (or what Kirklees even had in theirs!). So, our first few months were a crash course in what it takes to maintain a museum collection. In shadowing the curators we learnt about pest control, meeting the correct environmental conditions, cataloguing the collection, best storage practices, and handling objects.
As technicians, a lot of our time is filled with general maintenance of buildings and displays, I fixed the holes in the rock pool display at Bagshaw Museum and lots of little bits around Tolson. I'm currently working on updating information on the interactive screens you find dotted around the museums.
My favourite parts of the job are the more creative skills, I have been photographing a lot of objects, some for our own cataloguing purposes, and some for requests that come in from people wanting to see parts of the collection no longer on display. This is a fun job because it means getting to set up a mini photography studio. As we routinely go through the collection, objects are found which need alternative storage solutions to prevent any deterioration from happening. I have been involved in designing new crates, book stands and pallets for various objects, and once we get our official training in the workshop, I'll be making these too!
The most recent project I've been working on is an exhibition called 'Town Island', a collaboration between Huddersfield Art Gallery, Huddersfield University and Yorkshire Contemporary. This exhibition was a solo show for a local artist, and it was the Technical Team's job to install all the works. It has been an exciting project, getting to work alongside a wide range of industry professionals as well as the artist himself, and learning first-hand how to hang works and think quickly when the inevitable problems arise.
Overall, the job of a Museum and Galleries Technician is very varied, and I have been learning skills which help support the different teams in our service, as well as specialised skills like exhibition installs and woodwork.
Nathan, Museum Technician Apprentice
One of the first technical things I did in my apprenticeship was help dismantle the old display wall in our Oakwell cafe. One of the curatorial team was there at first to help take out the display cases and pack up some objects. We then took off the wood panelling and dismantled the stud wall behind, using cut parts of the old wall to fill in any gaps created.
I have also worked to create a wooden sleigh for a barometer to sit in the attics. I assembled, varnished, and cushioned the parts, ready to keep the barometer secure and upright which is essential because of the jar of mercury it contains. I have installed pencil holders and blackboards around Tolson Museum like those outside of the Bird Room and transferred large collection objects from one container to the other where they could be photographed, and a plan was created so we could locate them again within the container.
Within the collection I have been editing coin images with our Assistant Curator, cropping them and putting each face of a coin side by side. I have also been working with Mae to uninstall the nursery display in Tolson Museum. We have taken most of the objects out and either updated or created their entries on our Collections Management System, making sure to include photographs, measurements, and conditions. This helps us keep track of our objects and makes sure nothing gets left behind.
On top of our practical work, we also have coursework to complete which involves writing two assignments each month. For example, one week we looked at the care of objects and different environmental and human impacts on them. This assignment was based on preservation of objects and the stories they create through methods like preventative conservation which can minimise future deterioration. At Kirklees Museums and Galleries, we do this by using and emptying dehumidifiers twice a week, checking pest traps, freezing objects that come in or out of our care, using nitrile gloves and acid free tissue paper and boxes to protect objects.
Charlotte, Content Creator Apprentice
Hi, I'm Charlotte and I have been the Content Creator apprentice at Kirklees museums and galleries for 1 year and a half now. I chose to do an apprenticeship as I wanted to kickstart my career whilst also getting a qualification.
My job entails managing the social media accounts for Oakwell, Tolson, and Bagshaw museum as well as the main Kirklees Museum channels. To do this I visit sites, create engaging content and post it for everyone to see. If you have ever seen a post from us on Instagram or Facebook that was me!
Creating the content can mean lots of different things. I photograph the sites themselves and any events we have going on. I also do the videography and edit all the content I have captured. It takes a lot of organisation to manage all the channels and to gather all the right information from our teams but it is worth it to grow our online following and to make sure that what we do here at Kirklees Museums and Galleries reaches all of you.
The content I create can be used in campaigns, promotional posts, event listings, and lots more. I am always capturing new content at all three sites to ensure we have an up-to-date bank of images, videos, and any other material that we can use in the future.
A different side of my role is attending events, like career events, where we educate people on careers in heritage and how they can get into the industry.
My favourite thing about my job is being able to learn so many interesting facts about history and museums that I most likely would never have learnt about had I not chosen to do my apprentice here. From researching different events in history to photographing and videoing our collections I learn something new every day and I am so grateful to work in place where that happens.
