Past recipients of the Award

"I had an extremely rewarding experience during the award, and it exceeded my expectations. Although I enjoyed all of the projects I worked on, and gained valuable skills such as networking, research, conservation and project management, I feel that it was the people I met that made the experience so enriching… The IMAC award placement was a fantastic opportunity, because I was situated within a supportive environment where staff encouraged me to work autonomously and gain confidence in my skills and knowledge. After observing and engaging with a variety of activities within the University collections, and alongside experienced curators, collections managers, archivists and conservators, I now feel that I would love to work in a museum or University collection in the future. The award has been an invaluable and enjoyable growth experience for me as an individual, and I am certain it will improve and influence my career choices in the future.”

Kim Goldsmith studying for her Masters in Cultural Materials Conservation, travelled to the University of Birmingham to take up her placement opportunity in January 2016. In addition to her studies in conservation and background in teaching, Kim is a practicing visual artist and knew that she would be inspired during her time in the United Kingdom.  Over a busy and engaging month she was able to develop her collection management skills, pursue her interests, and establish extended networks with professionals in the sector.

"I began to understand the requirements of each role on a daily basis, and accordingly what suited my interests and skills the most. It was excellent to gain practical, hands-on experience in each area….My internship has helped me to decide that the education and interpretation side of museums is what particularly interests me, and has presented me with lots of ideas and advice as to how to attain this. I am very excited for my next steps and can safely say that this placement will help me, both professionally and personally, in whatever the future holds".

Katherine Grayson in her final year of an English Literature degree at Birmingham, was interested in pursuing a career in the heritage sector, but had to date limited experience. She saw the Award as a great opportunity to acquire professional skills and gain insight into what collections work might involve. During her month based in Melbourne, Katherine enthusiastically embraced every opportunity to expand her knowledge and practical experience in the cultural sector. For Katherine the placement drew her attention to the breadth of possibilities in museums and collections work, many of which she will be exploring back home to the United Kingdom.

"While I gained invaluable insight into the museum profession, the Award placement has also benefited me in many personal ways…testing my prior knowledge, drawing on new skills and working alongside industry professionals has helped me to feel more confident in my own abilities and opinions. I believe I contributed in a professional capacity to the museums and collections at the University of Birmingham and I am very proud of this achievement ".

Studying for her Masters in Cultural Materials Conservation, Amy Walsh was selected as the 2014 recipient of the Award and travelled to the University of Birmingham in early 2015 to work with their museums and collections. Amy relished the opportunity to broaden her professional skills base while simultaneously building meaningful connections with museum professionals in an international context.

"As a result of this placement, I have an entire new range of skills that I am able to highlight to future employers, and I have applied for collections assistant roles that I would never have deemed myself suitable for before. The award was designed to cater to my existing skills, but also to lift me away from my comfort zone, to boost confidence, to identify my strengths and weaknesses, to expose me to the daily workings of a university collection… "

Lucy Cooper, Masters in Heritage Management, from the University of Birmingham travelled to Melbourne in July 2014 to undertake her placement. Lucy very much enjoyed exploring the similarities between the collections of the two universities and to have the opportunity to expand her skills and use the theory from her coursework in a professional heritage environment. As well as the new skills she developed, Lucy found especially rewarding the cultural exchange that took place.

"The award enabled me to strengthen my existing knowledge and develop new skills in areas of collections management such as research, exhibition planning, cataloguing and preventive conservation. A wonderful aspect of the award is the friendships and networks I have been able to establish.… I received valuable mentoring from the staff I worked with, and was able to ask about their own career pathways."

Emily Keppel, studying for her Masters in Cultural Materials Conservation was the 2013 recipient of the Award. Emily travelled to the University of Birmingham in early 2014 and spent a month working closely with their museums and cultural collections. She especially enjoyed exploring the breadth of Birmingham's collections and seeing their connection with the broader community. Emily found the time she spent in the Wilson Conservation Studio especially rewarding, as it further developed her knowledge of her study discipline in an international context.

"The award encouraged me to explore and develop my skills and interests in museums and collections work…. As well as building on my existing experiences, the programme was designed to introduce me to a number of less familiar areas. It probably goes without saying that as well as being one of the most intensive periods of learning that I have ever experienced, my visit to Australia was also one of the most enjoyable".

Completing her Bachelor of Arts (Art History), Chloë came to Melbourne in August 2013 and worked on a selection of projects with collections across the campus including the Baillieu Library Print Collection, the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the Cultural Collections Unit, Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, University of Melbourne Archives and the Herbarium.

"The Museum and Collections Award has introduced me to new areas of arts and culture while offering opportunities to utilize and test my prior collections knowledge and experience. It has inspired an even greater passion for conservation and collection management and has given me confidence to work with leaders in the industry and develop ongoing professional networks."

Emma was completing a Bachelor of Arts degree when she spent summer 2012 based with the collections and museums of the University of Birmingham. Emma immersed herself in their collections and worked across several projects including the curation of a display of textile holdings from the Danford Collection of West African Art and Artefacts, a research project with the Cadbury Research Library and Special Collections, and the development of an educational workshop at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. While Emma learned many new skills from these assignments, it was her time spent in the Wilson Conservation Studio that really captured her imagination. So much so, that on her return she enrolled in a Masters in Cultural Materials Conservation.

"I cannot express how much I enjoyed my placement at the University of Melbourne. It was great to work with so many collections and I learnt many new techniques that I know will continue to be of use to me in the future. They organised projects to fit with my personal interests and endeavoured to allow me to develop different skills. My placement was fantastic and I have learnt so much. The experience I had is one that I will never forget".

Studying for her PhD in Egyptology, Emily was keen to work closely with Melbourne's Classics and Archaeology Collections where she researched a group of Egyptian artefacts. To broaden her collections experience, Emily also curated a display for Special Collections, researched classically themed prints from the Baillieu Library Print Collection, and created a children's activity for the Cultural Treasures Festival. Further, she worked on a selection of conservation projects at the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation including Japanese wallpaper preservation and the care of an aboriginal art collection.

"For me it was very rewarding, as a lot of the skills I learnt will be useful when I go into my line of work. It has also broadened my interests within museums and collections, as I have worked in areas such as conservation that I have never considered a future in before."

Studying for her Masters in Heritage Management, Katy was Birmingham's first Award recipient and travelled to Melbourne in July 2010. While at the University, Katy worked on a variety of collection management projects which included researching classical prints in the Baillieu Library Print Collection; developing information sheets for the Classics and Archaeology Collection; creating a children's activity sheet at the Medical History Museum; curating a display from the Sir Walter Scott collection; and lastly contributing research and information to an exhibition guidelines manual.

"The connections I have made with professionals in the museum sector while I was in Birmingham are certainly invaluable. Additionally, I now have a practical, firsthand appreciation of the ongoing tasks that are involved in this field of work… the student exchange gave me the chance to think beyond my immediateenvironment and directly consider collections and collections management in a wider, international context"

Emily was in her honours year of a Bachelor of Arts degree when she travelled to the University of Birmingham in January 2011. During her time there she worked closely with a broad range of collections including the Lapworth Museum of Geology, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Special Collections, the VISTA 3D Imaging Laboratory, Wilson Conservation Studio and Winterbourne House and Gardens. Project tasks included research, interpretation, documentation, cataloguing, 3D imaging, paper conservation, and the creation of a student workshop for the Barber Education Department.