In association with the

Cultural Intern Scheme Placement Proposal // 2014 - 15

THE IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST


Proposed placement period
(six month duration)
From: 06 October 2014
To: 27 March 2015

Address where placement would
be carried out



Coach Road
Coalbrookdale
Telford
TF8 7DQ
Department responsible for the
placement
Executive

Placement supervisor

Barbara Taylor, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive

Description of the project/s to
be undertaken

Specific details of the project/s to be delivered, with any
associated milestones and targets.

In October 2014 the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust will
commence the redevelopment of the Museum of Iron,
the first major stage of a wider redevelopment of the
whole Coalbrookdale site. Housed within the iconic Great
Warehouse that was built in 1838 with a cast iron clock
tower added in 1843, the Museum of Iron project will see
the complete refurbishment of the three floors of the
building with new galleries and exhibits, together with
the move of the caf to a newly created location on the
site. The new museum will narrate the story of the
Industrial Revolution using a chronological timeline
starting with pre-history and the geology and raw
materials of the Gorge, the techniques of iron production
pre and post industrialisation, the great ironmasters and
their achievements and impacts, the pivotal role
Coalbrookdale played in changing the world through
mass production of iron, the decorative arts and the
Great Exhibition of 1851 and the modern steel industry
today.

The redevelopment is expected to open in time for Easter
2015. Key milestones will be strip out of the current
museum and caf, creation, build and fit out of a new
caf, redecoration and fitting of new heating, air
conditioning and lighting throughout, creation and fit out

In association with the

of exhibition spaces including interpretation panels, cases
for objects, interactives, learning programmes etc.,
engagement with staff, the local community, funders and
visitors to promote the redevelopment being carried out,
marketing of the new museum, development of new
retail products etc.

The redevelopment will all be managed and delivered by
the Ironbridge in-house team with the Trusts Chief
Executive leading the project team supported by the
Senior Curator with some external consultancy advice
from exhibition designers, the Trusts architect and
various contractors for the specific fit out elements.

Over the 6 month period of the development the
Coalbrookdale site will also host the 10
th
year of the
Contemporary Fine food & Craft Fair, Gorgeous in
partnership with the Shropshire Guild of Craftspeople.
This two day event is planned, managed, promoted and
operated by the in-house Ironbridge team and will see
around 2,000 people attend.

Interns role within the main
placement project
Specific details of the role to be undertaken by the intern
and details of the activities that the individual will
undertake.

The Intern with be Project Assistant to the Chief
Executive.

This will involve working alongside the CEO, the Senior
Curator and the rest of the project team and will assist
with all aspects of the redevelopment which can be
tailored to some extent depending on where the Interns
specific interests lie. The Intern will attend all project
meetings, will work extensively to assist the curatorial
and learning teams in the gallery space fit out and
development including writing interpretation panels,
researching details, contributing to layouts, selecting
images, developing learning programmes etc. They will
also work to track the project schedule and timeline, to
help source suppliers ensuring best value and quality,
liaise with the operations team to support the
development of new retail products, help ensure the new
museum meets the Trusts accessibility requirements,
liaise, work with the graphics team to assist in the

In association with the

production of all interpretation panels and work with the
marketing team to help promote the new museum to the
press, to visitors, to the Museum staff, to funders etc.

The Intern will also work to assist the Operations Events
team to deliver the Gorgeous Craft & Fine Food Fair
covering all aspects of event management in the run up
to and on the days of the event.

Purpose of the placement What will the intern gain from the placement, to be
described in terms of skills, knowledge, experience ,
competencies and networks to be developed.

The Intern will work with departments across the whole
museum service and form a close working relationship
with the senior management team thus gaining an in
depth understanding of how a multi-site major heritage
and cultural organisation works. They will gain a wide
overview of the project as well as experience of the
detailed delivery of a complex major capital
redevelopment of one of the Trusts most important
museums. The intern will gain and develop a wide variety
of experience, skills and competencies including: project
management, negotiation, presentation skills, curatorial
care, interpretative techniques, research, event
management, fundraising, time management, marketing,
public engagement, social media.

Benefit to the organisation Describe how the organisation will benefit from the
placement

The Museum will benefit from the placement in terms of
the outputs from the project as the Intern will be a
valuable and integral member of the project team. The
Trust will also benefit from the overall positive impact of
skill sharing and in gaining new perspectives and insights
on the work of the Trust



In association with the

Training Activity Checklist

Category : Training Activities
Collections Management and Care
Assisting with collections management activities
including storage conditions, condition checking and
housekeeping
Assisting with the preparation of objects for display
including ensuring all paperwork and databases are in
order
Exhibition and Display Exhibition coordination (museums and galleries)
Assisting with the installation/de-installation of
exhibitions
Artist liaison for Gorgeous
Interpretation panels
Marketing and publicity Market research
Marketing and promotions including social media and
website development
Audience development and engagement
Events Event coordination
Event delivery
Assisting with the organising and coordinating Private
View for museum opening
Access and Interpretation




Assist with the delivery of education and outreach
programmes
Population of website
Social media
Giving guided tours
Policy and Finance Assist with fundraising and development
Assist with budgetary management
Assist with supplier selection and best value procurement
Administration and Other Project management
Customer service
Writing or editing
Translation
Clerical assistance (minutes of meetings etc.)
Organising meetings



In association with the

Checklist of applicable Skills/Capabilities expected to be developed

Some relevance Very relevant
Oral communication (including telephone) yes
Written communication yes
Writing/editing for publication (e.g. web,
promotional materials)
yes
Team working yes
Budget management yes
Marketing yes
Public relations yes
Social networking yes
Research skills yes
Problem solving yes
Innovation (e.g. helping organization to develop its
services)
yes
Entrepreneurship yes
Personal initiative yes
Use of a second language yes
IT skills yes
Negotiation skills yes