Work Experience and Internships

Work Experience

The Museum offers occasional work experience for pupils from local schools. Please contact Beth Walker on 020 7440 4254 or bwalker@soane.org.uk for more information.

Internships

Curatorial internships are arranged by Helen Dorey, Deputy Director.

The Museum is now offering regular three-monthly Education Internships. See below for details:

Education Department Internship Programme

The Education Department at Sir John Soane’s Museum is developing an internship programme to help individuals who are passionate about museum and heritage learning gain key skills and experiences for this line of work.

Each placement will last three months.

A notice will be posted here when we start accepting applications for the next internship (which will run January-March 2011).

The internship will give the postholder valuable work experience and an insight into how education projects are run in a small but busy national museum. Responsibilities include helping with education events and workshops as well as day-to-day duties, such as assisting with the department’s administrative tasks, stock-taking of resources and updating the website. This is a part-time internship (approximately two or three days per week, usually weekdays but there will be the option to help with some weekend events). The postholder is expected to work on Tuesdays. There is no remuneration for this post.

Background

Sir John Soane’s Museum is the idiosyncratic house-museum of the great Neo-Classical architect Sir John Soane (1753 – 1837) and still displays his collection of antiquities, furniture, models and paintings in the same state in which they were left at the time of his death as well as preserving over 30,000 architectural drawings and a fine Library.

The Museum has a long-established education service which is provided for individuals, families, schools, colleges and community groups. These include Access and outreach initiatives, projects for targeted groups such as U3A, youth groups and special needs groups. In late 2007 the Museum gained possession of No.14 Lincoln’s Inn Fields providing much enhanced facilities for our education programme.

Soane’s intention to create a resource for the study of architecture provides our main education objective. This is explored in schools through the science, maths, history, art and citizenship curricula. KS2 classes are the most frequent visitors to the Museum; both KS1 and KS2 classes participate in outreach visits.

We have partnerships with government agencies, professionals in the heritage and built environment sectors, local councils and a range of charitable and private sponsors.

The service is delivered by members of the Museum staff assisted by a team of part-time and freelance educators.

 Responsibilities

·           Developing a knowledge of the events and programmes taking place at Sir John Soane’s Museum

·           Helping to keep the Education Studio tidy and well-stocked

·           Basic administrative tasks, such as updating the contacts lists and helping with mailings

·           Assisting the Schools and Families Education Officer with the delivery of weekly after-school activities and regular schools outreach sessions

·           Liaising with and supporting freelance educators to support the delivery of holiday activities and workshops

·           Supporting the Education Department art tutors in preparing materials for workshops and organising refreshments when needed  

·           Assisting with smooth running of special events

·           Compile detailed, clear and relevant research information for the Education Department

·           Photographing projects

 Person Specification

·           Studies in Art History, Fine Art or related field

·           Experience in working with children and young people

·           Good communication skills and ability to work with the public

·           Ability to work independently

·           Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail

·           Good computer literacy – Word, Excel, databases, Photoshop

This post requires an Enhanced CRB Disclosure and will also require registration with the ISA.

Reporting Structure

Reporting to the Head of Education and working closely with the Schools and Families Education Officer.

Application Procedure

Applications in the form of a curriculum vitae and supporting letter, together with the name and addresses of two referees, should be sent by post to the Head of Education, Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP.