Emma Frith

Collections Assistant, The Science Museum

Course: MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies, Full Time, 2014-15

After completing my BA in History of Art and French at UCL, I was hoping to find a vocational outlet for my line of study and improve my job prospects. The Art Gallery and Museum studies course at Manchester was very practical, introducing me to some of the core aspects of professional practice (such as conservation, collections management, and curating).

During the Managing Collections and Exhibitions course I was asked to plan a hypothetical exhibition using clinical diagnostic tools from the Museum of Medicine and Health, as part of a team of five students. Supported by staff who encouraged our professional development, we received funding to mount the exhibition for real at Chetham’s Library. This experience not only encouraged me to pursue a new area of research, but to gain important skills in collections management (such as the packing, transporting, storing, and documentation of objects), as well as in curating (such as the textual interpretation of objects and the design of exhibition displays).

It is thanks to this experience that I am now working as a Collections Assistant at the Science Museum, in support of their exciting project to redevelop their medical galleries. I have been particularly involved in the decant of the galleries; packing, documenting and overseeing the transportation of objects between sites. The role has also introduced me to store-based work, from object cleaning to hazard identification.

The hands-on nature of the AGMS course really helped me, therefore, to enhance my skills and to gain confidence in this competitive sector.