Curator

On a curator apprenticeship course, you’ll help research, understand, develop and interpret collections, themes or subjects.

Working at an accredited museum, gallery, or organisation with public access to art, natural history, or cultural collections, such as a local authority, university, or historic trust, you will research, understand, develop, and interpret collections, themes, or subjects to make them accessible to a wide range of and diverse public or private audiences. 

Your activities will help the audience gain information by stimulating their interest in collections or places.

You will communicate information to them in various ways, including developing narratives through displays, exhibitions, public events, digital media, and publications, to bring to life modern and/or ancient collections ranging from paintings and sculpture to large-scale vehicles and taxidermy.

You might work as a subject, collection, or cultural asset expert, using your specialised knowledge and experience to oversee collection care and long-term preservation.

What you’ll learn

On a curator apprenticeship, you’ll learn to:

• Lead the adoption and/or development of collections management processes such as cataloguing while ensuring proper handling, storage supply, and audits.
• Deliver new exhibitions, projects, and collections displays most appropriately and genuinely feasible, including research, creation, organisation, administration, and installation.
• Refresh and/or re-present permanent, temporary, and online exhibits/displays while identifying and using appropriate interpretation techniques.
• Lead and/or manage collection development, which may include acquisition, disposition, and loans as needed, including national/international inter-organisational loans. Capability to evaluate the long-term implications of collection development decisions.
• Commission, conduct out, and/or disseminate collection research.
• Analyse and interpret research, intelligence, audience response, and preferences.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to develop new interpretation/storytelling techniques and materials for exhibitions, displays, and digital content.
• Create internal and/or external subject experts and industry networks to keep abreast of new trends and developments that may impact medium and long-term objectives.
• Connect collections to a larger historical or contemporary context.
• Recruit and choose subject matter experts, internal/external agencies, contractors, and other organisations as required.
• Collaborate with others to accomplish projects from beginning to end while meeting agreed-upon objectives.
• Create exhibitions and displays for their organisation using internal/external designers as required.
• Analyse and respond to visitor research while creating exhibitions, displays, and digital content.
• Set/agree on objectives, timelines, and processes for colleagues (in other departments or project/program teams) to ensure organisation-wide delivery.
• Contribute to/signpost fundraising/income-generating efforts such as grant applications, sponsorship, and charging activities as appropriate for the role.
• Examine, analyse, and evaluate data sets on audience participation.
• Negotiate with stakeholders to get desired outcomes that are consistent with institutional objectives.
• Communicate with a wide range of stakeholders verbally and in writing to achieve shared goals and objectives and solve problems.
• Write activity reports for a range of internal/external audiences.
• Serve as an organisation ambassador to raise its profile and communicate the importance of its work. Attending and/or presenting at conferences and seminars and developing/contributing to publications for the organisation may fall under this category.
• Deliver talks/tours/presentations/events to keep existing audiences interested, such as members and supporters, while expanding participation.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• A degree or equivalent knowledge and thinking ability gained through experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises two distinct assessment methods: 

• Professional Discussion underpinned by a portfolio
• Exhibition project and written report

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 7 Curator Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.