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Join the V&A and contribute to the legacy of David Bowie as a Project Conservator for an upcoming world-class collection
Overview
Salary £32157 - £42876
Location Offsite V&A storage, Iver
Nomad Friendly? In-person- Iver United Kingdom
Expires Expires at anytime
The V&A stands as a beacon of art, design, and performance, boasting a vast collection that chronicles 5,000 years of human innovation. As a cultural powerhouse, the V&A is preparing to enhance its dynamic repertoire with the acquisition of the David Bowie Archive, an extensive collection capturing the essence of one of the most pioneering artists in history. This is a thrilling time to join, as the institution gears up for the 2025 launch of the new David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts.
Role Summary:
- Work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team on the David Bowie Archive project.
- Play a key role in preparing the collection for the opening of the new David Bowie Centre.
- Contribute to the preservation and conservation of a vast array of artefacts, including costumes, personal notes, and multimedia.
- Engage in a fixed-term, 12-month contract with potential for impact and recognition in a high-profile initiative.
Role Requirements:
- Experience in conservation or a related field, with a focus on project delivery.
- Ability to work collaboratively within a diverse, multi-disciplinary team.
- A passion for the arts and a commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage.
- Desire to contribute to an institution with a mission to inspire and educate through design and creativity.
Benefits:
- A generous pension scheme and 29 days of leave plus bank holidays.
- Flexible working arrangements to balance professional and personal life.
- Free access to V&A exhibitions and a subsidized staff canteen to enjoy.
- Exclusive 25% discount in V&A shops and a range of financial support schemes, including loans for transport and rental deposits.
- Comprehensive training and professional development opportunities to foster career growth.
- An inclusive work environment supported by staff diversity networks.
The Role The V&A is a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity. Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. We share a 5,000-year-old story of creativity through exhibitions, events, educational programmes, digital experiences, conservation, research, and an ever-evolving national collection of over 2.8m objects spanning every creative discipline.
The V&A is acquiring the David Bowie Archive. Comprising c. 80,000 items spanning the entirety of Bowie’s career, the archive is an important portrait of one of the most innovative and influential artists of our time. It includes costume, staging models and other performance artefacts, photography, fan art, musical instruments, personal notes, sketches and designs, make-up charts, song lyrics and sheet music, unrealised project documentation, writings and press coverage. Rich and varied, it demonstrates Bowie’s thought processes, the genesis and development of individual albums, the evolution of his own image, his collaborations with musicians, photographers, fashion designers and other practitioners, and much more.
As a Project Conservator you will work within a multi-disciplinary team to deliver this unique project in time for the opening of the V&A’s new David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts in 2025. Fixed term contract for 12 months.
The V&A The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects, books and archives that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The museum holds many of the UK's national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.
Our mission is to be recognised as the world's leading museum of art, design and performance, and to enrich people's lives by promoting research, knowledge and enjoyment of the designed world to the widest possible audience. We strive to make the V&A matter to more people and in that context we work to the following six strategic objectives: To create a world class visitor and learning experience across all V&A sites and collections. Focus and deepen the relevance of our collections to the UK creative and knowledge economy. Expand the V&A's international reach, reputation and impact. To operate with financial and organisational initiative and efficiency. Showcase the best of digital design and deliver an outstanding digital experience. Diversify and increase private and commercial funding sources.
Benefits Generous pension scheme 29 days plus bank holidays Flexible working Tickets to V&A exhibitions Subsidised staff canteen 25% discount in V&A shops Give as you earn scheme Bicycle loan Interest-free season ticket Interest-free rental deposit loan Free safety checks and small repairs to your bike with Doctor Bike Wide range of training and professional development opportunities Employee Assistance Programme Staff diversity networks
