Experience

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  The Witchy Squirrel

  • United Kingdom

  • Small Business Owner

    • Nov 2023 - Present
    • United Kingdom

    As The Witchy Squirrel, I make magical and unique jewellery from upcycled vintage and modern pieces which are available through my Etsy shop, I also sell a selection of luxury Nottingham Lace gifts made by my mum, Ruth, under her Kitty Fisher brand.

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  National Justice Museum

  • United Kingdom
  • Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Collections Curator

    • Jun 2019 - Dec 2022

    Main duties: My role was broad and covered all areas of collections care, documentation, and access to support the core business of the National Justice Museum. This included accessioning/cataloguing, marking, and labelling, shelving/re-shelving, preservation, maintenance and development of the entry, archive, and object audits, both physical and digital, facilitating loans, assisting with the enquiry service, research support, and ongoing digitisation of material to support exhibitions, projects, marketing and social media, and the education team. My role was embedded into the Emergency plan, and I was on the NJM Disaster Reaction Team and worked with the Senior Curator & Archivist to ensure that we met and maintained the NJM’s Accreditation standards. I managed a small team of volunteers and also ran the Store Tours for all staff, volunteers, work experience students and external visitors. I was made redundant due to the financial instability of the museum which necessitated cuts to core staff.

  • Curator, HLF funded Project: Justice: Past, Present & Future

    • May 2017 - Jun 2019

    Winner of the 2019 Regional Heritage Awards for 'Behind the Scenes at the Museum'.Main duties: Digitisation of HM Prison Service Collection, which involved recruiting, training and supervising volunteers to scan over 6000 photographs and archival items and photograph 1800+ objects; development and validation of collection audits and digitised material for import into MODES; supply of digitised and physical material for educational resources, NPO activities, social media, public engagement activities, exhibitions and enquiries; general collections care and management, including monitoring of environmental conditions and access to storage areas; tours of the museum stores for staff and external visitors.

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  University of Bristol

  • Bristol

  • Keeper: Live Art Archives

    • Dec 2005 - Apr 2017
    • Bristol

    Keeper: Live Art Archives May 2008 - presentAssistant Keeper (Live Art) Dec 2005 - May 2008University of Bristol Theatre CollectionMain duties: Curation and development of the Live Art Archives, including accessioning, appraisal, sorting, labelling, cataloguing and preservation activities, plus IPR and ethical issues, particularly associated with 'challenging materials' (see selected project information). Key role in research generated by the Archives’ holdings, opening them up to new audiences including academics, creative & cultural professions and the public. Database manager and developer for the National Review of Live Art Online. Theatre Collection Librarian, responsible for the TC library of 30,000+ books, Rare Book Collection and 300+ journal titles, including purchasing, accessioning, classifying and cataloguing, preservation, promotion, access and integration of the Mander & Mitchenson Library (20,000+ items) acquired 2011. TC Volunteer Coordinator and volunteer manager. Member of the Arts Faculty Web Working Group, University of Bristol Digital Assets Management Working Group and Disaster Group. Duties also included handling user enquiries and assisting visitors to the TC; increasing awareness of the TC through guided tours, newsletters and other publicity/marketing; developing and maintaining the TC’s digital presence, including online catalogues, primary website developer/maintainer, social media strategic developer and maintainer. Organising and running public engagement events such as Doors Open Day and Museums at Night; curating temporary exhibitions and facilitating loans out; cataloguing projects to improve access to the TC archive holdings through data consolidation, migration and validation; identifying funding opportunities and writing grant applications for TC based projects and other activities, including digitisation; collation and reporting of statistics and user information; managing the JISCmail LIVEART, ARTNET and FESTIVAL lists.

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  Nottingham Trent University

  • Nottingham, United Kingdom

  • Project Manager: Performance Arts Research Unit

    • Feb 2004 - Dec 2005
    • Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Main duties: Managed a small team offering support and consultancy to a group of academic researchers in a variety of research projects involving new developments in performance and live art to ensure appropriate and professional outcomes. Projects included Sci-art Bio-robotic Choreography and Anatomical Exoskeleton with renowned performance artist Stelarc, and DRIP-DROP (Digital Resources In Performance – Digital Resources On Performance) documenting developments in the creative use of computer technologies in performance, from live theatre and dance productions incorporating digital media, to cyberspace interactive dramas and web-casts. Responsibilities included curating and facilitating access to the original Live Art Archives, including development of the associated analogue and digital databases and providing a professional information service. Membership Secretary for Performance Studies International.

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  Hadden Park High School

  • Nottingham, United Kingdom

  • Assistant Librarian

    • Mar 2002 - Feb 2004
    • Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Main duties: Undertook all aspects of library maintenance and development, from stock selection, promotion and display, cataloguing, weeding and disposal, to teaching, research skills and pupil support. Involved in schemes such as the Transforming Secondary Education Initiative. Database Administrator for the school library management system (Eclipse) and key member of the Eclipse User Group.

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  Environment Agency Wales

  • Register Officer

    • May 1996 - Aug 2000

    Main duties: Custodian and primary user for the electronic/hard copy public register of pollution licences (20,000+ records) and applications, serving all of Wales. Key contributor to the project to develop, coordinate and implement a new multifunctional environmental register for the Environment Agency across both England and Wales (WIMS). Project Management Team member and User Group leader for many other legislative national initiatives including Charging for Discharges, Consent Revocation, Water Act Schedule 23 and Water Quality Authorisations Migration. EA Wales Liaison Officer for the resolution of appeals with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the Welsh Assembly. Actively involved in all aspects of management, from budgeting and recruitment, to objective setting, staff appraisals and tribunals. Member of DIAG (Data & Information Activity Group). Contributed to the National Public Registers Group (SPAWG). ‘Outstanding’ status for performance appraisals, together with honoraria for project work, for several years.

  • Technical Officer (Consents)

    • May 1993 - May 1996

    Main duties: As for Assistant Consents Officer plus management and maintenance of effective systems for co-ordination of consent applications and integrated pollution control consultations for Wales. Maintenance of the National Rivers Authority copy of Environmental Protection Act register and information request responses. Liaison with colleagues in relation to consistency and integrity of procedures and data, including charging aspects. Preparation of statistical outputs/returns for management and Head Office. Co-ordination and progression of consent appeals. Training/supervision of staff.

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  National Rivers Authority

  • Assistant Consents Officer

    • Jun 1992 - Apr 1993

    Main duties: As for Discharge Charging Officer, plus associated Pollution Control support, development of DISCHARGE, including major validation projects. Regional debt recovery. Information co-ordination and liaison and responding to internal and external enquiries.

  • Discharge Charging Officer

    • Jun 1991 - Jun 1992

    Main duties: Assisted the Consents Officer in maintaining a consistent approach to regional consenting policy and procedures. QA/monitoring of consents issued in the region. Maintenance of oracle databases for consents (DISCHARGE) and charging for discharges (CFD), including ensuring accuracy of charge preview reports and responding to public queries.

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  The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

  • London

  • Assistant Scientific Officer (Palm Herbarium)

    • Sep 1988 - Aug 1989
    • London

    University placement.Main duties: Duties ranged from herbarium curatorial tasks, to research work for organisations such as WWF (U.S). Involved in establishing a database (ALICE) for palm specimens. Contributed to Beaman, J. H., and R. S. Beaman. 1998. The Plants of Mount Kinabalu.