Assistant Curator (Textiles)

The Bulldog Trust has developed a curatorial programme to help individuals looking to gain skills
and experience working in a museum or gallery environment. This paid position will be based at
Two Temple Place, headquarters of the Bulldog Trust, which becomes an exhibition venue for
three months each year.

Job Title: Assistant Curator

Reporting to: Curator (June Hill) and Exhibition Manager (Rebecca Hone)
Location: Flexible, some regional travel in the UK may be involved.
Contract: Fixed Term Paid (1-3 days p/w)
Employment Term: August 2019 - February 2020
Remuneration: £4,000

Role Description:

The Bulldog Trust is offering an exciting opportunity for a well-organised individual with an
interest in textiles and museums to join an experienced curatorial team at Two Temple Place,
London (run by the Bulldog Trust) to deliver the 2020 Winter Exhibition ‘Hidden Fabric: Women;
Textiles; Collections’ .

The Bulldog Trust is a charitable trust that has given financial and advisory assistance to charities
for over 25 years. The trust is housed within Two Temple Place, a magnificent late-Victorian
mansion on the Embankment. The Winter Exhibition Programme at Two Temple Place was
launched in 2011 and has welcomed over 300,000 visitors since. Each annual show looks to raise
awareness of one or a group of the wonderful collections held in public museums and galleries
around the UK. Please read more about the TTP Winter Exhibition Programme here:
https://twotempleplace.org/exhibitions/

The Exhibition:
In January 2020, Two Temple Place will open to the public for the ninth time, for its popular
Winter Exhibition Programme. ‘Hidden Fabric’ (working title) will highlight exceptional textiles
held in seven regional museum collections in England, collected in the 20th century by pioneering
women from the Edith Durham collection of Balkan textiles in Bankfield Museum, Halifax to Olive
Matthew’s English embroidery and dress collection in Chertsey and Nima Poovaya-Smith’s
contemporary collecting of South Asian art and textiles for Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford.
‘Hidden Fabric’ will include rarely seen archival photographs, short films, sketchbooks and letters
alongside the textiles to give insight into the lives and interests of the women behind these
fascinating collections.

Two Temple Place is part of The Bulldog Trust

Registered Charity Number 1123081
2 Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD
www.bulldogtrust.org
Main Responsibilities:

Exhibition Curation:

 Support Curator with supplementary narrative and object research.

 Travel to loan venues and assess objects for display.
 Support curator with exhibition interpretation and catalogue contribution.

Loan Management:

 Assist in preparing the application for Government Indemnity to cover all objects and
artworks and/or commercial insurance where necessary.
 Maintaining accuracy and relevance of object list held centrally at Two Temple Place,
through constant communication with curator and lenders.

Exhibition planning & delivery:

 Providing support for all practical arrangements during planning of exhibition & display.
 Help prepare and order materials needed for the exhibition installation.
 Prepare and maintain object and artwork information for insurance, transport and
installation.
 Support Exhibition Manager in preparing for the installation of the exhibition e.g.
creating object room lists; printing details of works for technicians; set up humidifiers
and temperature controls.
 Practical support to Exhibition Manager during the install; overseeing the work of a group
of technicians; running errands; pick up additional installation materials.

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and management may, at any time, allocate other tasks
and responsibilities. As part of a small exhibitions team the candidate should be ready and willing
to assist with all aspects of team planning, administration and operations.

Person Specification:

Essential attributes:

 Knowledge of and interest in Fabric and Textiles (Collections / Fashion / 20th Century /
South East Asian / Eastern European / International).
 Experience in the museum or gallery field and a demonstrable awareness of museum and
gallery practice.
 Highly organised, with an ability to prioritise a varied and busy workload and working to
deadlines.
 Helpful and positive attitude; ability to work within a team and independently.
 Attention to detail and high level of accuracy.
 Strong documentation and record keeping skills.
 Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Desirable attributes:
 Experience working with community engagement projects.
 Knowledge of museum/gallery UK environmental and display standards.

Two Temple Place is part of The Bulldog Trust

Registered Charity Number 1123081
2 Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD
www.bulldogtrust.org
How to Apply:
To apply please send a CV with covering letter addressed to June Hill and Rebecca Hone to
info@twotempleplace.org.

The letter, maximum 200 words, should indicate why you think you can fulfil this role.

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Friday 7th June

Equal Opportunities:
The Bulldog Trust is committed to providing equal opportunities without regard to race, religion,
nationality, gender, sexuality, disability or age. We welcome applications from all qualified
candidates.

If you have any questions please contact Rebecca Hone, Exhibition Manager, on 020 7 836 3715

Two Temple Place is part of The Bulldog Trust

Registered Charity Number 1123081
2 Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD
www.bulldogtrust.org