Marisol Solchaga

Collection Management Project Supervisor, The University of Manchester Library

Course: MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies, Part Time, 2013-15

I came to the MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies at the University of Manchester as a mature student with a broad experience in archaeology and museums in Spain, keen to build up my career in curating and managing collections. The MA appealed to me because it offered a mix of academic study and practical experience. Moreover, the Manchester Museum, which is part of the University, holds one of the best Egyptian collections in the UK and the possibility of getting some practical experience in curating artefacts with Egyptian material attracted me from the beginning.

Being a European student with no previous experience in studying in the UK, I found really helpful the support I received from the academic staff from the beginning and throughout my time on the MA. The course met, by far, my expectations. Not only was able to fulfil one of my dreams which was to catalogue and do some research in the Egyptian collections at the Manchester Museum as part of my dissertation, but I discovered new areas within the museum world that enhanced my understanding of the area and increased my possibilities of finding a job in the museum sector.

As part of the MA I co-curated an exhibition in Manchester Central Library titled ‘The tensions of Modernity: Arts and politics in Italy, Spain, Brazil and Argentina’. I was in charge of the Spanish section and this involved doing research and bringing objects from other museums through loans. I also designed the display of the Spanish material. Also, a work placement at the Thackray Medical Museum allowed me to be involved in a very exciting project to re-locate the skeleton of Mary Bateman, known as the Yorkshire Witch, on display in the museum. As part of my placement, I wrote a policy on Human Remains, which it still used by the museum.

Thanks to all the skills I gained during my time on the MA I am now working as Collection Management Project Supervisor at the Library in the University of Manchester. As part of my job I deal with different projects that are carried out in the library.