Placements and Partnerships
With two World Heritage Sites on our doorstep, we have established strong partnerships with some of the most innovative organisations in the heritage sector.
One of our major strengths is in the teaching of heritage and public history, and many of our researchers are active in examining and confronting the power of the past in the contemporary world.
We believe that the heritage sector of the future will need people who see heritage as part of the wider economy, rather than as somehow detached from it, and who are as interested in their audiences and communities as they are in collections, landscapes or buildings.
Through our undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes, we aim to equip a new generation of researchers with the skills and experience necessary to take up roles across the heritage sector, as well as outside it.
Placements are an integral part of this strategy. Our students have worked on placements and projects with a wide range of museum and heritage organisations in the city of Bath and the wider region, from the National Trust, English Heritage and Arts Council England, to the Bath Preservation Trust, the Holburne Museum and the SS Great Britain in Bristol.
If you are interested in becoming a partner or would like further information, please email Dr Sarah Morton.
Examples of student placements
In 2017, undergraduate History and Heritage student Jessica Thorley undertook a placement with the National Trust at Baddesley Clinton. During her placement she had the opportunity to experience all aspects of the Duty Manager's role including working in visitor reception, the shop, the restaurant and in conservation.
As part of her placement with Bath Medical Museum, Emma Hildesley was able to use her previous experience in fundraising to assist with the development of a fundraising strategy. Having presented her recommendations to the trustees, Emma is currently working on develop an online giving platform.
Emma also had the opportunity to assist with the preparation, assembly and promotion of the very successful First World War exhibition.
As a placement student with the Bathscape Project, MA Heritage Management student Zoë Hughes-Gough assisted with the organisation, marketing and evaluation of the 2017 Walking Festival.
Working with the BANES Environment team, Zoë helped run a series of walks that included Carr’s Wood, Smallcombe Cemetery and Tucking Mill as part of the development phase of a larger Heritage Lottery Fund project that aims to protect and maintain the ‘green setting’ of Bath. Having conducted an evaluation of the success of the festival and the impact on the participant, Zoë contributed the final project evaluation report.
English and History student Kiana Martin worked with the Learning and Engagement Office at the Holburne Museum on the community engagement programme Pathways to Wellbeing.
As part of her role, Kiana assisted with the programme activities and supported staff and freelance artists delivering sessions. She was also responsible for processing and analysing data about the programme for inclusion in the annual report to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Kate Clayton is currently on placement at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro where she is carrying out a small research project on the nationality of foreign language visitors to the museum, with a view to providing some interpretation in languages other than English.
Kate applied for a 'Brilliant Things' bursary, offered by the ACE-funded Cornwall Museums Partnership, to look into ways of collecting data from museum visitors, many of who do not speak English as their first language, in a more visual way. As part of the placement, Kate has attended the 'Brilliant Things' conference and has worked with the Cornwall Museums Partnership to put her ideas into practice.
As part of her placement at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, MA Heritage student Becca Lewis was involved in organising 'Small Victories Story', a family-friendly storytelling show that explored the experiences of women who worked in the world-famous Garrard record player factory during the First World War.
The show was run with the help of volunteers and support from Arts Council England and Swindon Does Arts.