"Luckily, archives and other institutions are always looking for volunteers!"
Unfortunately, this stops me looking into archiving as a career straight away, as much as I'd like to.
When I was at art school I really wanted to get into gallery curation, but you had to spend at least a YEAR volunteering. Yeah, sorry, I couldn't afford to do that. I had to pay rent and buy food etc. That fact has only become MORE true now, with a mortgage, bills and a little one on the way.
This is one of the biggest problem with the arts (and, I'm sure, many other industries); it is closed off to many because they simply can not afford to do what the industry deems necessary to succeed in it. It's a hell of a joke, IMO; after all the costs of studying and so forth you're also expected to work for FREE. To use a popular Australian anachronism, "yeah, nah."
Yeh that’s why I added the bit at the end about how unfortunate this is :/ i don’t condone it and it’s really the major problem I have with the sector. But I was trying to give as realistic an overview as possible. Same with art, as you say, it’s just not an option for many people. Hopefully that’ll start changing soon
I came from an Information Sciences background, majoring in Records Management and Archival Management, but sadly, the job is so limited in my country, hence, transitioning into a Talent Development role instead. It makes me proud that there is somebody like you who continues the legacy of preserving the past for future generations. Keep up the good work, Lucy!
"Luckily, archives and other institutions are always looking for volunteers!"
Unfortunately, this stops me looking into archiving as a career straight away, as much as I'd like to.
When I was at art school I really wanted to get into gallery curation, but you had to spend at least a YEAR volunteering. Yeah, sorry, I couldn't afford to do that. I had to pay rent and buy food etc. That fact has only become MORE true now, with a mortgage, bills and a little one on the way.
This is one of the biggest problem with the arts (and, I'm sure, many other industries); it is closed off to many because they simply can not afford to do what the industry deems necessary to succeed in it. It's a hell of a joke, IMO; after all the costs of studying and so forth you're also expected to work for FREE. To use a popular Australian anachronism, "yeah, nah."
Yeh that’s why I added the bit at the end about how unfortunate this is :/ i don’t condone it and it’s really the major problem I have with the sector. But I was trying to give as realistic an overview as possible. Same with art, as you say, it’s just not an option for many people. Hopefully that’ll start changing soon
I came from an Information Sciences background, majoring in Records Management and Archival Management, but sadly, the job is so limited in my country, hence, transitioning into a Talent Development role instead. It makes me proud that there is somebody like you who continues the legacy of preserving the past for future generations. Keep up the good work, Lucy!
It's definitely a niche field even in the "better" countries for it, if that makes sense haha. But thank you!
Argh, fascinating! And hello from a fellow Durham alumni – graduated BA Ancient History in 2019
Ah hello! I started in 2019 so I just missed you - I was in the History / Ancient History departments too though!