Community History Curator

We need someone with a unique set of skills and aptitudes to help us deliver more community research and storytelling that is relevant to those who call Bristol home.

Since 2021, the SS Great Britain Trust has offered people in Bristol who are underrepresented in the heritage sector the opportunity to use the museum archive to generate creative work. Originally funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, since 2023 the Trust has maintained this work independently, and we have recently secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop this work further.

We aspire to develop a participatory research practice which allows community members to explore the Trust's entire archive collections, and for this to drive our site storytelling to bring relevance to the breadth of communities who call Bristol home. The Community Research programme encourages open and honest investigation and exploration, and empowers people to publish, write, draw and create from original archival material, developing and opening up positive and tangible bonds with new communities and audiences in Bristol.

The candidate will work with the Trust's curatorial team, our collection items, our communities officer, and cohorts of researchers from a range of Bristol communities. Bringing these elements together, we want to meet someone who can facilitate non-museum specialists in generating research, storytelling and making creative outputs from those collections, in a number of forms. These could be publications, public events, educational resources, art, literature and more. We’re looking for someone who will enjoy researching with historical materials and have the ability to link people and stories together. They will work to unlock the barriers that exist between many audiences and heritage sites and support the overall development of Community Research within the wider work of the Trust.

It is essential that the person for this role has good knowledge of and is experienced in discussing and contextualising history with individuals that do not have background or training in the subject. We also want to overcome barriers by being flexible on the time of day and week that people can engage with us, so we’re looking for someone who is able to work flexibly, potentially for one evening a week and 2 weekend days per month.

• Work with, and support visitors and researchers from all backgrounds and places to explore, research, publish and curate stories and histories of mobility, communication and globalisation as they relate to the SS Great Britain.
• Work with the Trust’s Communities Officer to scope and generate new opportunities for collaborative, community-led research and collections work and support the work of future Community Research cohorts in 2025 and 2026.
• Act as lead co-ordinator for an on-site community hub, a multi-use story space and flexible work area which will host community participants, and which participants will co-create and use to host others that they wish to engage.
• Provide physical and digital access to the Trust’s Designated Collections for visitors and researchers and SS Great Britain team members.
• When required, carry out documentation procedures relating to museum objects, including accessioning, photographing and making electronic records for new acquisitions and existing collections, and to become familiar with collections in such a way as to assist participatory research.
• When required, manage safe use of the Brunel Institute and community hub to ensure both learning and enjoyment, and the safety of the collections, and supervise ‘Archive in Five’ public access sessions, creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors.
• Undertake historical research using material from both Trust and non-Trust collections and have the ability to link people and stories together.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in History or related discipline.
• Evidence of working with historic artefacts and archive materials.
• Ability to demonstrate co-operative working especially with non-specialist audiences.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including evening meetings and some weekends.
• Awareness of museum practices and willingness to be fully trained in collections management procedures.
• Basic awareness of museum object handling.
• Commitment to continuing professional development.
• Attention to detail and ability to respond to changing priorities.
• Evidence of working with community partners in project or volunteering work.
• Familiarity with histories of the Atlantic World, maritime and/or imperial histories.
• Experience of computerised data entry.
• Experience of working with collections in a museum or heritage environment.

Closing date for applications: Midday on 22nd June 2025. Interview date: Week commencing 30th June 2025.

The SS Great Britain Trust is committed to diversifying our audiences and workforce. We welcome all applicants regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity. All full-time posts can be considered for job share.