Opening Up Entry Routes to Our Sector: Reflections on Museums Galleries Scotland's Internship Programme

Abstract

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the strategic development body for over 450 museums and galleries, helping them achieve the vision and aims of Going Further: The National Strategy for Scotland's Museums and Galleries. Between 2011 and 2014, MGS developed and managed a programme of 40 internships funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Skills for the Future Programme. Museums and galleries with vastly differing scales of operations, staffing and governance arrangements applied to host interns either individually or as part of a partnership. An extremely high number of intern applications were received for each agreed role description. MGS intentionally requested applications from people at the start of their museum careers who had not achieved a postgraduate qualification and with low socioeconomic status? This approach responded to critical discourse in the UK questioning whether the traditional pathway of postgraduate education and volunteering met current and future needs, and the call for high quality opportunities for a wider range of people interested in a museums career. It also related to the desire at an international level to develop museums which value the input of members of diverse communities whose living heritage they represent.

Important dimensions of the internships were their intensity, duration and financial payments made to interns. The programme supported training provision, peer learning and continuous professional development for the interns themselves, assigned supervisors within the host museums, and external mentors. There was a common structure, with training days and networking opportunities to develop general and museology competencies. Additionally, each internship aided specific competencies including volunteer management, collections care, digital skills, and public programming involving education, outreach and interpretation skills.

Through this paper MGS offers reflections upon this programme and its wider relevance for professional capacity building. This partially draws on an externally conducted evaluation report which highlighted the experience of individuals and organisations involved, lessons learnt and recommendations to maximise the legacy of the programme in Scotland and beyond.

1. [Correction added on 4 November 2016, after first online publication on 28 October 2016: A few small typographical errors in the Abstract have been corrected.]

1. [Correction added on 4 November 2016, after first online publication on 28 October 2016: A few small typographical errors in the Abstract have been corrected.]

Notes

1. [Correction added on 4 November 2016, after first online publication on 28 October 2016: A few small typographical errors in the Abstract have been corrected.]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fiona C. Hutchison

Fiona C. Hutchison is a statistician within the Research and Development team at Museums Galleries Scotland. She completed a collaborative studentship Ph.D. with Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. Her thesis is entitled Socio‐cultural Impacts of Museums for their Local Communities (Management Studies, University of Exeter, 2014). She has occupied paid roles within heritage organisations including the management of the National Piping Centre, Glasgow and visitor services team member at the Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh. She was contracted to conduct evaluation and historical research projects and was awarded a Masters in Museology (Amsterdam School of the Arts) and a Master's in History (University of Edinburgh).

Catherine Cartmell

Catherine Cartmell works as Skills Development Manager for Museums Galleries Scotland. From 2013‐2015 she was seconded to manage the MGS Interns Programme. She previously worked for Glasgow Museums as a Volunteer and Placement Coordinator and has achieved work‐based Learning and Development qualifications from The Open University. Through her various roles, she has encouraged skills sharing and continuous development for the museums workforce.