💼 Professional Experience 💼
Professional Experience Summary 🛠️
My professional experience spans across the museum, heritage, and literary sectors, with a strong emphasis on research, public engagement, digital curation, and inclusive practice. From contributing to museum exhibitions and literary collections to supporting festival events and digital platforms, I have developed a wide range of practical and transferable skills. My experience includes research and data management with The Poetry Archive, exhibition support for Gloucester Folk Museum, and event coordination during the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival.
I specialise in tasks such as cataloguing, data entry, digital communication, public-facing engagement, and curatorial collaboration. My professional development is enriched by a strong academic foundation in History and Religious Studies, and I continue to build on this through certified training in business tools, accessibility, and educational support. I am passionate about preserving culture, amplifying underrepresented voices, and contributing to inclusive, accessible public history.
Looking for freelance support with data entry, research, or copy typing?
Professional Skills 🧩
Organisation and Administration
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💻 Data Entry & Management → Archival Data Integrity: Audited 500+ poet records for The Poetry Archive, creating fully searchable monthly databases with 100% accuracy.
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📑 Document & Inventory Control → Digitisation & Cataloguing: Digitised 100+ historical artefacts at Holst Victorian House and catalogued textile exhibition materials for Gloucester Folk Museum.
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📋 Project Management → Multi-Project Coordination: Managed concurrent academic, freelance, and voluntary commitments, delivering all to professional standards.
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⏰ Time Management → Rapid Project Delivery: Completed a comprehensive Poetry Archive audit within four working days alongside ongoing coursework and freelance work.
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✨ Administrative Accuracy → Records Maintenance: Maintained precise and consistent records across archival databases, inventories, and event registers. "100% Accu-rat" - Rattus Rattus 🐀 (Horrible Histories)
Digital and Technical
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📄 Microsoft Office & Google Workspace → Administrative Efficiency: Proficient in Word, Excel, Docs, Sheets, and Slides for administration, research, and content creation.
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📑 Database & Spreadsheet Tools → Searchable Resource Creation: Built a comprehensive poet birthday database with linked navigation and maintained museum inventory systems across multiple platforms.
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💻 Digital Archiving → Heritage Access Expansion: Contributed to the Poetry Archive’s Poetry of South Asia collection launch and digitised artefacts for enhanced public access.
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📱 Social Media Basics → Accessible Digital Communication: Applied certified social media skills to content planning and audience engagement, prioritising accessibility and clarity.
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📋 Digital Survey Collection → Audience Research: (Pending Training) Conducting visitor surveys via iPads to gather and record audience feedback.
Communication and Collaboration
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👥 Interpersonal Communication → Public Engagement: Engaged 200+ weekly visitors at Erewash Museum and represented The Poetry Archive at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival 2025.
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👏 Team Collaboration → Cross-Departmental Coordination: Worked with Poetry Archive curators remotely and supported exhibition teams at Gloucester Folk Museum.
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✍️ Written Communication → Accessible Content Creation: Produced detailed poet biographies for national archives and exhibition text for diverse public audiences.
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🛃 Customer Service → Inclusive Visitor Support: Delivered welcoming and informative front-of-house assistance, ensuring accessibility for all visitors.
Specialist Knowledge
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🔍 Research & Analysis → Contextual Interpretation: Conducted biographical research, analysed textile trade data, and authored university papers covering WWI trench letters, political theory, and religious history.
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🏛️ Museum & Heritage Work → Multi-Site Experience: Gained hands-on experience in exhibition development, artefact digitisation, and visitor engagement across three heritage institutions.
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🧑🏫 SEND & Classroom Support → Inclusive Education: Trained in safeguarding and well-being, adapting activities to meet diverse visitor and learner needs.
Project and Field Skills
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🗃️ Archival Research → Collections Discovery & Retrieval: Located and retrieved relevant materials from archives, libraries, and databases for academic and curatorial use.
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🔎 Field Observation → Exhibition Research & Content Enrichment: Incorporated insights from site visits, field trips, and museum tours to enrich interpretive content.
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🎟️ Event Support → Seamless Event Delivery: Assisted with ticketing, audience guidance, donations, and activity supervision for museum and festival events with the Sheffield Museums Trust.
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🏺 Collections Handling → Artefact Care & Preservation: Physical historical artefact digitisation during my work placement at the Holst Victorian House. (Pending Training) And safely managed and presented heritage objects for public engagement, including interactive “Talking Tables” sessions.
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♿ Accessibility → Inclusive Interpretation: Ensured interpretation and programming are inclusive and accessible for diverse audiences of all abilities and backgrounds.
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🧍 Independent Learning → Ongoing Professional Development: Continued professional development through self-directed study, online courses, and public history engagement.
Sheffield Museums Trust 🏛️
June 2025 - Present
Events & Public Engagement Volunteer 🎟️
On-site in Sheffield
& Possibility of remote work
Millennium Gallery
Kelham Island Museum
Weston Park Museum
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet
Graves Gallery
Shepherd Wheel Workshop
Guild of St. George
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As an Events & Public Engagement Volunteer with Sheffield Museums Trust, I support public programming across multiple museum sites while gaining hands-on experience in audience interaction, event delivery, and community outreach.
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There is also potential for future involvement in collections care or archiving and remote work.
My role spans and focuses on front-of-house support, event assistance, and visitor guidance across the Trust's diverse collection of venues.
Public Events & Visitor Engagement
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🎨 Crafty Careers Fair at Kelham Island Museum (July 2025) – Assisted with ticketing, signposting, family crafts, feedback collection, and helped with event close-down.
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🌈 Curious Adventures in Colour and Light at Millennium Gallery (July 2025) – Assisted with front of house - audience guidance of over 200 visitors during the afternoon session, donations, and promoted the museum trust.
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🎈 Fundraising Party: Celebrating 150 Years of Weston Park Museum (upcoming, September) – Front-of-house support, guest greeting, cloakroom management, and visitor guidance.
Professional Development & Collections Access
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👀 Behind the Scenes at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet (upcoming) – Volunteer-exclusive tour led by Pamela Cunningham, Embrace Abbeydale Project Manager. As a part of the 'Embrace Abbeydale' funded project.
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🖼️ Curator Talk: The Boy with a Leg Named Brian by Pete McKee at Weston Park Museum (upcoming) – Volunteer-exclusive talk and tour led by Lucy Cooper, Exhibitions Curator at Sheffield Museums.
Training Completed & Ongoing 📚
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💡Volunteer Induction – Weston Park Museum (June 2025)
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💡Safeguarding (Online, June 2025)
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🕐 Visitor Research Survey Training (Scheduled for August 2025)
Skills Demonstrated:
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📣 Event coordination & visitor experience management
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👥 Public engagement & community outreach
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📊 Data collection & feedback management
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🤝 Cross-site collaboration within museum trust framework
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💬 Professional communication & visitor guidance
This experience is building upon my previous hands-on public facing role at the Erewash Museum. I've really enjoyed this role so far and I'm excited for new events and opportunities.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Successfully supported events engaging 200+ visitors
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🌟 Contributed to major milestone celebrations and fundraising initiatives
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🌟 Enhanced visitor experience with professional front-of-house support
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🌟 Gaining experience across diverse museum venues within the Trust
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🌟 Potential future involvement in collections care and archiving roles
The Poetry Archive 📝
October 2024 - May 2025
Poetry of South Asia Collection 🌏
Research & Data Management Volunteer 🖥️
Remote in Sheffield
The Poetry Archive Socials
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As a volunteer for The Poetry Archive I contributed to the digital preservation of South Asian literary heritage.
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My work focused on creating accurate, accessible poet records, conducting research, and enhancing archival metadata for use on the Archive's website and internal systems.
Poet Portfolio Development
Independently created and enhanced detailed profiles for four poets featured in the Poetry of South Asia Collection:
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Arundhati Subramaniam – Logged key publications, featured poems, and notable awards.
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Daljit Nagra – Verified and updated biographical details, published works, and honours.
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Moniza Alvi – Ensured accuracy of her profile by researching publications and career milestones.
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Amarjit Chandan – Conducted in-depth biographical research to produce a comprehensive portfolio.
Poet Birthday Database Audit
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📌Executed comprehensive audit over four-day period.
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📌Independently audited the TPA’s entire poet database (571 poets as of March 2025) to compile accurate birth date records for internal archival use.
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Organised the spreadsheet alphabetically, highlighting birthdays between March and August with dedicated monthly tabs.
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📌Designed an internal navigation system using 12 linked columns for ease of reference.
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Upon request, extended the dataset to include birthdays from September to February, ensuring consistency in format and function.
Skills Demonstrated:
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📊 Data entry & spreadsheet design
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🔎 Biographical & literary research
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📚 Metadata structuring for archives
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🧠 Organisation, consistency & attention to detail
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🖥️ Digital collaboration & remote teamwork
I was prepared for this project due to my research and exhibitions background. The Gloucester Folk Museum's Threads exhibition research and display directly influenced my research and data entry methods.
This project strengthened my research and archival skills as well as insight to public engagement. Also deepened my engagement with contemporary South Asian literature, and contributed directly to the Poetry Archive’s long-term collection development.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Strengthened representation of South Asian poets in a national archive
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🌟 Improved internal data organisation and archival structure
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🌟 Contributed to the successful public launch of the collection
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🌟 Helped broaden public engagement and increase donor interest
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🌟 Supported digital heritage, access, and outreach in a national context
31 May 2025
Khushwant Singh Literary Festival 📚
Launch of the Poetry of South Asia Collection 🎉
Literary Event Volunteer
On-site
Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London
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As part of The Poetry Archive team, I supported the public launch of the Poetry of South Asia Collection at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival, held at Brunei Gallery, SOAS (London).
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My role focused on delivering a smooth, welcoming audience and representing the archive in a professional and engaging manner.
Key Duties:
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📌Greeted attendees and assisted at registration areas.
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📌Distributed event materials and encouraged sign-ups and survey responses.
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Collaborated with event staff and curators to ensure smooth delivery of the launch.
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Helped promote the archive’s mission and newly launched collection.
Skills Demonstrated:
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👋 Public engagement & guest support
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💬 Clear and confident communication
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⏳ Teamwork under time-sensitive conditions
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🗺️ Cultural sensitivity & professional conduct
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🗄️ Representing archival projects to the public
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📈 Audience feedback collection & observation
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Helped ensure a smooth and welcoming festival experience
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🌟 Strengthened public understanding of South Asia poetry
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🌟 Supported the successful launch of a national digital collection
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🌟 Promoted The Poetry Archive's mission through live engagement
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🌟 Contributed to the Archive’s visibility and outreach strategy
KSLF Socials
Imtiaz Dharker
Rahul Singh
Khushwant Singh's son
Seni Seneviratne
Imtiaz Dharker
Rahul Singh
Rishi Dastidar
Victorian Holst House 🎼
March 2024
Museum & Collections Work Placement - Data Entry Clerk 💻
On-site
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
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My role focused on supporting collections care and digitisation, contributing to the preservation, documentation, and accessibility of the museum’s artefacts.
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This placement provided practical experience in object handling, cataloguing, and digital archiving, deepening my understanding of collections management and museum practice.
Key Duties:
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📌Digitised over 100 historical artefacts, ensuring accurate documentation and metadata creation.
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📌Catalogued collection items to professional standards, maintaining consistent and accessible records.
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Assisted with preventive conservation measures to safeguard artefacts.
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Contributed to collections organisation and the improvement of internal inventory systems.
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Applied attention to detail and archival accuracy in all cataloguing and recording tasks.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🗃️ Collections cataloguing & documentation
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💻 Digital archiving & metadata creation
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🎼 Artefact care & preventive conservation
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🤝 Professional collaboration with curators
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Digitised and catalogued 100+ artefacts, strengthening the museum’s digital and physical records.
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🌟 Contributed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of the collection.
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🌟 Developed transferable skills in collections management and archival recording.
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🌟 Expanded hands-on museum experience, reinforcing my career focus in collections and archiving.
Gloucester Folk Museum 🧵
September 2022 - May 2023
Exhibition Assistant (Volunteer) 💻
Threads: Belonging and Unbelonging
Remote & On-site in Cheltenham
University of Gloucestershire Project
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My role focused on contributing original research and public-facing interpretation for the Threads: Belonging and Unbelonging exhibition.
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Translating complex historical analysis into accessible visual displays for museum audiences.
Key Contributions:
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📌Researched 18th–20th century Gloucestershire textile trade, linking local industry to national and colonial contexts.
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Investigated women’s and men’s fashion (1800s–1900s), including Queen Victoria’s influence, mourning dress, and social identity through clothing.
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Examined the development of nurse uniforms, textile use, and the impact of British colonial trade policies.
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📌Designed and presented structured PowerPoint slides on costume and textile history, adapted to the museum’s exhibition format.
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📌Collaborated with museum staff to ensure historical accuracy and accessibility in exhibition content.
Skills Demonstrated:
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📚 Historical research & academic writing
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🎨 Public history & visual communication
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🧵 Material culture & museum interpretation
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🤝 Collaboration with curators and heritage professionals
This collaborative project began my experience with hands-on museum and exhibitions work. Reinforcing my career aspiration to become an Archivist. My academic background in research and project delivery, especially my university work.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Contributed research that enhanced the museum’s historical narrative and audience engagement.
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🌟 Linked fashion history to local identity through case studies on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
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🌟 Produced visual materials illustrating Georgian–Victorian dress history.
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🌟 Strengthened visual literacy and presentation skills in a museum context.
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🌟 Applied accessibility-focused practices in collaborative exhibition design.
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🌟 Expanded professional portfolio through university–museum partnership.
Erewash Museum 🎨
July 2019 - February 2022
Museum Assistant (Volunteer) 👋
On-site
Ilkeston, Derbyshire
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My role centred on leading and planning arts and crafts activities for children and families, supporting the museum’s public programmes.
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I also provided front-of-house support and assisted with event delivery, gaining valuable experience in inclusive visitor engagement.
Key Duties:
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📌Planned and facilitated creative arts and crafts sessions, adapting activities to suit different ages and needs.
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Supported event delivery through activity coordination, set-up, and visitor guidance.
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📌Provided front-of-house support, greeting and assisting 200+ weekly visitors.
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Helped ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment, supporting accessibility and positive visitor experiences.
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Answered visitor queries, promoted exhibitions, and offered guidance on museum services.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🎨 Activity planning & delivery for children and families
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👥 Interpersonal communication & customer service
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🧑🏫 Inclusive engagement & facilitation of family learning
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🤝 Team collaboration with museum staff and volunteers
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Designed and led engaging arts and crafts activities as a core element of museum programming.
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🌟 Supported inclusive family learning by adapting sessions for children with different needs.
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🌟 Strengthened visitor satisfaction and accessibility through supportive front-of-house service.
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🌟 Gained valuable public-facing museum experience to complement academic and collections-based training.
"Where's Wally?" scavenger hunt pieces that I decorated and hid around the museum.