Based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Open to remote and regional opportunities across the UK
Experience spanning museums, archives, and community heritage — over three years across seven diverse institutions.
💼 Professional Experience 💼
Professional Summary 🛠️
Emerging museum and heritage professional with over three years’ experience in collections care, digitisation, archiving, and public engagement across natural history, social history, and contemporary collections. I combine hands-on collections handling with strong administrative, digital, and research skills, supporting museums, cultural organisations, and community heritage initiatives.
Current Roles 📍:
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🦕 Archive & Collections Assistant (Volunteer) – Yorkshire Natural History Museum
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💻 Data & Documentation Assistant (Volunteer) – Heeley City Farm
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🖐️ Object Handling & Public Engagement Volunteer – Sheffield Museums Trust (Talking Tables Project)
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🎟️ Events & Public Engagement Volunteer – Sheffield Museums Trust
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💼 Freelance Remote Services – Data Entry · Research · Copy Typing · Editing · Proofreading
Core Competencies:
Collections Management | Digitisation | Archival Documentation | Natural History Specimen Care | Exhibition Research & Support | Audience Engagement | Accessibility-Focused Interpretation | Database & Spreadsheet Management | Records Administration
Technical Standards:
Spectrum 5.1 | ISAD(G) | Dublin Core (DCMI) | The National Archives Standards | Preventive Conservation Principles | Research Data Management
Key Achievements:
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📌 Developed, audited, and standardised a 571-record poet database for The Poetry Archive
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📌 Digitised 100+ historical artefacts to museum documentation standards
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📌 Contributed to public engagement for 200+ visitors weekly across museum sites
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📌 Applied cataloguing and collections care practices across multiple heritage institutions
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📌 Supported exhibition development through editing, proofreading, condition checking, and display support
Career Goal
Working toward roles in collections management, archival documentation, and public engagement, with a commitment to improving the accessibility, preservation, and interpretation of cultural and natural heritage.
Freelance Support
Looking for help with data entry, research, copy typing, or digital administration? I offer reliable, remote freelance support alongside my museum-sector work.
Professional Skills 🧩
Organisation and Administration
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💻 Data Entry & Management → Archival Data Integrity: Audited 500+ poet records for The Poetry Archive, producing 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, ensuring precise metadata and preservation-minded documentation.
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📋 Project Management → Multi-Project Coordination: Coordinated simultaneous academic, freelance, and volunteer commitments, consistently meeting deadlines and professional standards.
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✨ Administrative Accuracy → Records Maintenance: Maintained consistent, reliable records across archival systems, inventories, CRM tools, spreadsheets, and event registers. "100% Accu-rat" - Rattus Rattus 🐀 (Horrible Histories)
Digital and Technical
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📑 Database & Spreadsheet Tools → Searchable Resource Creation: Built a comprehensive poet-birthday research database using advanced Google Sheets functions and multi-tab navigation; supported museum collection systems across several digital platforms.
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📱 Social Media Basics → Accessible Digital Communication: Applied certified social media skills to produce clear, accessible, audience-appropriate content and digital updates.
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💻 Finance & Admin Tools → Multi-System Proficiency: Experience with PayPal analytics, Xero, CiviCRM, OneDrive cloud systems, and Excel-based financial tracking (budgeting, P&L, cash-flow monitoring).
Community Engagement
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👥 Interpersonal Communication → Public Engagement: Engaged with 200+ weekly visitors at Erewash Museum and represented The Poetry Archive at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival (2025).
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🛃 Customer Service → Inclusive Visitor Support: Provided welcoming front-of-house assistance, wayfinding, and object-handling interpretation to diverse audiences.
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🎟️ Event Support → Seamless Event Delivery: Supported ticketing, audience guidance, donations, and activity facilitation at festivals, gallery events, and Sheffield Museums programmes.
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📋 Digital Survey Collection → Audience Research: Collected and recorded visitor feedback through iPad surveys to support evaluation and community insight.
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♿ Accessibility → Inclusive Interpretation: Ensured exhibitions, text, and public-facing activities were accessible to visitors of varied needs, backgrounds, and abilities.
Specialist Knowledge
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🗃️ Archival Research → Collections Discovery & Retrieval: Located, retrieved, and synthesised materials from archives, libraries, and digital databases for academic and curatorial projects.
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🏺 Collections Handling → Artefact Care & Preservation: Experience digitising fragile artefacts during placement at Holst Victorian House, plus delivering safe, visitor-led object handling through Sheffield Museums’ Talking Tables public-engagement programme.
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🔍 Research & Analysis → Contextual Interpretation: Analysed textile trade records, conducted biographical research, and authored academic work on WWI correspondence, political theory, and religious history.
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🏛️ Museum & Heritage Work → Multi-Site Experience: Supported exhibition development, digitisation, proofreading, and visitor engagement across multiple heritage institutions.
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🧑🏫 SEND & Classroom Support → Inclusive Education: Trained in safeguarding (children, young people, adults, vulnerable adults) and experienced in adapting activities for inclusive, accessible learning.
📌 Current Roles 📌
(2025 - Present)
My current roles reflect my ongoing development across the museum, heritage, and cultural sectors. Through my work with the Yorkshire Natural History Museum, Sheffield Museums Trust, and Heeley City Farm, I’m continuing to build practical experience in archiving, collections care, object handling, digitisation, exhibition support, and public engagement.
Each position strengthens a different aspect of my professional practice:
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At the Yorkshire Natural History Museum (YNHM), I contribute to archiving, digitisation, collections organisation, and research, supporting a growing natural sciences collection.
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With Sheffield Museums Trust, I take part in visitor engagement, accessibility-focused object handling (Talking Tables), event support, and contribute to exhibition preparation through proofreading, editing, and collections care.
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At Heeley City Farm, I am developing essential administrative and financial skills—including data entry, records management, CRM work, and spreadsheet auditing—which directly enhance my capabilities for future work in archives and collections management.
Together, these roles are helping me build a well-rounded foundation in both curatorial practice and cultural-sector administration, while contributing to accessible, community-centred heritage work across Sheffield.
Yorkshire Natural History Museum ☠️🦕
January 2026 - Present
Induction completed September 2025
Archive and Collections Assistant - Natural History (Volunteer) 🗃️
On-site in Sheffield
Following induction in September 2025, I will be supporting the cataloguing and care of approximately 15,000 natural history specimens.
My Role and Responsibilities:
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Assisting with handling, cataloguing, inventory, storage and preservation techniques of natural history specimens and archival materials.
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Learning and applying sector standards for archiving, documentation, and museum collections management.
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Opportunity for cleaning and restoring skeletons and fossils
Skills Demonstrated:
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🗃️ Archiving & Collections Management
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🗂️ Cataloguing, Documentation & Digitisation
Impact and Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 First experience working with a Natural History collection in a museum setting!
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🌟 Gaining insight into the behind-the-scenes processes
Yorkshire Natural History Museum Socials
🗃️☠️🗂️
Heeley City Farm 🐑
December 2025 - Present
Induction completed in November 2025
Data and Documentation Assistant (Volunteer) 💻
On-site in Sheffield
Heeley City Farm Socials
My Role and Responsibilities:
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Supporting the farm’s administrative and financial processes through accurate data entry, spreadsheet organisation, and documentation management.
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Using PayPal analytics, Xero, CiviCRM, Microsoft Excel, and cloud-based systems to maintain precise financial and donor records.
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Separating settled and unsettled payments, monitoring cash flow, and updating café income, fundraising activity, and general profit tracking.
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Maintaining mailing lists, donor information, and CRM records to support fundraising and organisational development.
Skills Demonstrated:
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💻 Data Entry & Digital Record-Keeping
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📊 Spreadsheet Management & Financial Tracking
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📄 CRM & Database Administration
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🗂️ Organisational Accuracy & Documentation Control
Impact and Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Strengthening transferable administrative skills essential for archival documentation, museum records management, and collections care.
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🌟 Building confidence in financial processes and cloud-based systems used across the heritage sector.
🐄🗂️🌿
Sheffield Museums Trust 🏛️
🖐️ Talking Tables Project Workshops
December 2025 - Present
Training completed in November 2025
Object Handling and Public Engagement Volunteer 🖐️
On-site in Sheffield
Sheffield Museums Socials
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Contributing to Sheffield Museums’ Talking Tables accessibility and engagement initiative across Weston Park Museum and Kelham Island Museum.
My Role and Responsibilities:
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Facilitating interactive Talking Tables object-handling sessions
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Setting up, transporting, and presenting learning objects safely in museum gallery spaces.
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Encouraging informal, curiosity-driven conversations with visitors
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Assisting visitors with wayfinding and general support
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Monitoring the safety, condition, and appropriate use of objects throughout the activity.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🖐️ Object handling and collections care
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🌻 Inclusive visitor engagement
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💎 Informal learning and interpretation
Impact and Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Supporting Sheffield Museums’ commitment to inclusive, visitor-centred engagement through hands-on object interaction.
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🌟 Strengthening skills in object handling, informal interpretation, and public-facing communication
2026
June 2025 - Present
Events and 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
Leader House
My role continues to focus on front-of-house support, event delivery, and visitor engagement across Sheffield Museums’ diverse sites. Alongside this, I am gradually expanding my skills in object handling, informal interpretation, and practical collections care — areas I hope to develop further throughout 2026.
Public Events & Visitor Engagement:
Volunteer Socials:
Training Completed & Ongoing 📚
Skills Demonstrated:
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📣 Event coordination & visitor experience
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👥 Public engagement & outreach
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📊 Data collection & evaluation
This experience builds directly on my earlier public-facing work with Erewash Museum and my 2025 volunteering with Sheffield Museums. Working across multiple venues, audiences, and event types has strengthened my confidence in engagement work and prepared me for more hands-on collections involvement in the year ahead.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
Sheffield Museums Socials
🖐️🏛️👋
⌛ Recent Experience ⌛
(2024 - 2025)
My recent experience highlights growing expertise in digital archiving, collections management, exhibition support, and public engagement. With The Poetry Archive, I supported the Poetry of South Asia Collection through research, data organisation, and content preparation for its public launch in London. At Holst Victorian House, I gained hands-on experience in artefact digitisation and collections documentation.
Most recently, with Sheffield Museums Trust, I contributed to the New Horizons Exhibition by proofreading interpretation text and ensuring the content was accessible and engaging. I also supported the Crafted at Christmas Selling Exhibition, assisting with condition checks, collection handling, and display preparation.
These roles have strengthened my technical, interpretive, and collaborative skills while deepening my commitment to making museum and archival collections accessible to diverse audiences.
Sheffield Museums Trust - 2025 🏛️
2025
June 2025 - Present
Events and 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
Leader House
Sheffield Museums Socials
My role focuses on front-of-house support, event assistance, and visitor guidance across the Trust's diverse collection of venues, with potential for future involvement in collections care and archiving.
Public Events & Visitor Engagement:
July 2025 -
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🎨 Crafty Careers Fair at Kelham Island Museum – Front-of-house support, family activities, and feedback collection.
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🌈 Curious Adventures in Colour and Light at Millennium Gallery – Audience guidance for 200+ visitors.
September 2025 -
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🖼️ Exhibition Celebration at Graves Gallery – Visitor engagement and gallery invigilation.
October 2025 -
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🎶 McKee’s Listening Party with Horace Panter (The Specials) at Weston Park Museum – Visitor check-in and audience support.
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✂️ Craft Jam: Planning Session at Millennium Gallery – Brainstorming activities that we could do with the existing materials the trust has.
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🔍 Many Voices Project Review at Millennium Gallery – Evaluation meeting on public engagement and accessibility. I suggested many improvements to make the trust and its events more accessible.
December 2025 -
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🎄 Victorian Christmas Market at Kelham Island Museum (Saturday) – Co-facilitated the family Christmas Crafts and the Selfie Sleigh.
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🎄🖐️ Victorian Christmas Market at Kelham Island Museum (Sunday) – Co-facilitated festive Talking Tables object-handling activities.
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📌🎄 Supported welcoming and engaging over 7,500 people (500 more than in 2024) across both days of the Victorian Christmas Market.
Volunteer Socials:
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⛏️ Store Tour of Archaeology & World Cultures Collections (October 2025) – Archives tour led by the Curator, Rachel Atherton.
Training Completed & Ongoing 📚
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💡 Volunteer Induction – Weston Park Museum (June 2025)
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💡 Safeguarding Training – Children and Young Adults (June 2025)
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💡 Visitor Research Survey Training (September 2025)
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💡 Object Handling "Talking Tables" Training (November 2025)
Skills Demonstrated:
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📣 Event coordination & visitor experience
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👥 Public engagement & outreach
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📊 Data collection & evaluation
This experience builds upon my previous public-facing role at Erewash Museum. I've particularly enjoyed the variety of venues and audiences, and I'm excited for opportunities in collections care within the trust.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Supported public events engaging 7,500+ visitors at the Victorian Christmas Market
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🌟 Contributed ideas to the Craft Jam planning session, with my paper-flower concept selected.
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🌟 Raised key accessibility considerations during the Many Voices Project meeting.
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🌟 Developed confidence in evening event delivery at the Graves Gallery Exhibition Celebration.
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🌟 Gained experience across four Sheffield Museums sites through varied visitor-facing roles.
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🌟 Contributed to two museum exhibitions, supporting proofreading and editing, collections care, condition checking, and display design.
🎨🌈🖼️🎶✂️🔍🎄🖐️ - ⛏️
🎄 Crafted at Christmas Selling Exhibition
7th - 22nd October 2025
Displayed 24 Oct to 24 Dec 2025
Curatorial and Exhibition Support Volunteer - Mixed Media 📦
On-site in Sheffield
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Contributing to Sheffield Museums' Crafted at Christmas Selling Exhibition, with collections care, condition checking, and display design.
My Role and Responsibilities:
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Conducted condition checks, completed documentation, and checked the delivery notes and stock for the artists' works.
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Assisted with inventory management, sorting, storing artefacts and safe object handling procedures.
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Supported the gallery setup, contributing to the visual presentation of over 35 makers’ works.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🧾 Condition reporting and collections documentation
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🖼️ Object handling and display preparation
Impact and Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Contributed to the safe and organised presentation of a seasonal selling exhibition.
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🌟 Developed practical experience in museum-standard object care and display techniques.
Sheffield Museums Socials
🌅 New Horizons Exhibition
2nd - 8th October 2025
Displayed 18 Oct 2025 to 25 Jan 2026
Exhibition Editorial Assistant 📖
Remote in Sheffield
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Contributing to the preparations for the New Horizons exhibition at the Millennium Gallery. I am supporting the curator, Katie Irwin, and the Collections and Exhibition teams by proofreading text for panels and labels.
My Role and Responsibilities:
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Review and check the SPAG exhibition text supplied by curators and community partners.
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Provide feedback on readability and accessibility where needed
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Follow guidelines for formatting and comment submission
Skills Demonstrated:
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💻 Digital document handling (Word and PDF)
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👀 Proof-reading and editorial accuracy
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♿ Awareness of accessibility in public-facing text
Impact and Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Helped ensure accessible and engaging interpretation for museum visitors.
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🌟 Developed skills in proofreading and professional exhibition preparation.
Sheffield Museums Socials
🧶🎄🖌️ - 🗃️🏺🖼️ - 📝🌅📖
The Poetry Archive 📝
🌏 The Poetry of South Asia Collection
October 2024 - May 2025
Research and Archive Assistant (Volunteer) 💻
Remote in Sheffield
The Poetry Archive Socials
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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 detailed profiles for four poets in the Poetry of South Asia Collection, including Arundhati Subramaniam, Daljit Nagra, Moniza Alvi, and Amarjit Chandan—logging publications, awards, and career milestones to ensure archival accuracy.
Poet Birthday Database Audit
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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 over four days.
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📌Organised the spreadsheet alphabetically, and created separate columns for each month, then linked each entry to its birthday month.
Skills Demonstrated:
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📊 Data entry & spreadsheet design
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🔎 Biographical & literary research
I was prepared for this project due to my research and exhibition background. The Gloucester Folk Museum's Threads exhibition research and display directly influenced my research and data entry methods.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Contributed to the successful public launch of the collection
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🌟 Supported digital heritage, access, and outreach in a national context
31 May 2025
Literary Event Volunteer 📚
Khushwant Singh Literary Festival &
Launch of the Poetry of South Asia Collection
On-site in London
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.
Skills Demonstrated:
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👋 Public engagement & guest support
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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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🌟 Supported the successful launch of a national digital collection
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🌟 Promoted The Poetry Archive's mission through live engagement
Khushwant Singh Literary Festival Socials
Imtiaz Dharker
Rahul Singh
Khushwant Singh's son
Rishi Dastidar
Imtiaz Dharker
Rahul Singh
Seni Seneviratne
🌏📝🎉
Holst Victorian House 🎼
March 2024
Collections and Digitisation Assistant - Paper (Placement) 💻
On-site in Cheltenham
Key Duties:
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📌 Archived, catalogued, digitised, and stored over 100 historical paper artefacts (laminated), ensuring accurate documentation and metadata creation.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🗃️ Archiving, Cataloguing & Documentation
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🎼 Artefact Care & Preventive Conservation
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Digitised and catalogued 100+ paper artefacts, strengthening the museum’s digital and physical records.
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🌟 Expanded hands-on museum experience, reinforcing my career focus in collections and archiving.
Holst Victorian House Socials
🗃️💻🎼
🌱 Foundational Experience 🌱
(2019 - 2023)
My foundational experience provided the groundwork for my continuing development within the museum and heritage sector. At the Gloucester Folk Museum, I contributed to the Threads: Belonging and Unbelonging exhibition, conducting research into textile history and helping transform academic findings into accessible public displays. My time at Erewash Museum introduced me to visitor engagement, event planning, and front-of-house operations, allowing me to develop confidence in public interaction and community-focused heritage work.
These early roles shaped my professional interests and sparked my commitment to inclusive, educational, and engaging museum practice.
Gloucester Folk Museum 🧵
👗 Threads: Belonging and Unbelonging Exhibition
September 2022 - May 2023
Exhibition Research Assistant (Placement) 💻
Remote in Cheltenham
Key Contributions:
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📌Researched 18th–20th century Gloucestershire textile trade, women's and men's fashion, linking local industry to national and colonial contexts.
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📌Designed and presented structured PowerPoint slides on costume and textile history, adapted to the museum’s exhibition format.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🎨 Public History & Visual Communication
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🧵 Material Culture & Museum Interpretation
This collaborative project began my experience with hands-on museum and exhibition work. Reinforcing my career aspiration to become an Archivist, building on my academic background in research and project delivery.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Contributed research that enhanced the museum’s historical narrative and audience engagement.
Gloucester Folk Museum Socials
🧵👑👗
Erewash Museum 🎨
July 2019 - February 2022
Museum Assistant (Volunteer) 👋
On-site in Ilkeston
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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📌Provided front-of-house support, greeting and assisting 200+ weekly visitors.
Skills Demonstrated:
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🎨 Activity Planning & Delivery for Children and Families
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👥 Interpersonal Communication & Customer Service
This experience provided valuable early training in visitor engagement, activity planning, and public-facing museum work.
Impact & Key Achievements 🎯
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🌟 Designed and led engaging arts and crafts activities as a core element of museum programming.
"Where's Wally?" scavenger hunt pieces that I decorated and hid around the museum.
Erewash Museum Socials
🎨✂️👋
Future Opportunities & Roles I’m Pursuing 🎯
As an early-career museum and heritage practitioner, I am actively seeking roles that build on my background in collections care, research, and public engagement. Ideally, I’m looking to contribute to institutions that prioritise accessibility, inclusivity, and community storytelling.
Target Roles 🚀
📌Collections Assistant / Library & Archive Assistant
Monitoring storage conditions, cataloguing objects, maintaining accurate records, and processing acquisitions or loans—similar to roles at museums like the Yorkshire Natural History Museum.
📌Museum Collections Access & Documentation Assistant
Supporting digitisation, updating catalogue entries, assisting with enquiries, and preparing objects for exhibitions or research appointments. Duties reflect those outlined by institutions such as the People’s History Museum.
📌Assistant Collections Manager / Operations & Admin Support
Contributing to loans, inventory audits, documenting collections, and sometimes handling budget or financial processes — as seen in opportunities at academic institutions like the Royal College of Music or the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Professional Development & Aspiring Paths 🌱
I'm developing expertise in collections management frameworks, including SPECTRUM standards, and am committed to the principles outlined in Collections 2030 regarding inclusive practice and community engagement.
I also aspire to roles along the collections management — curatorial trajectory, including registrars, curators, or heritage managers, where I can shape how collections are preserved and made accessible to diverse audiences.