Return to jobs 
Join the prestigious V&A Museum to preserve the legacy of David Bowie as a Project Conservator for Textiles
Overview
Salary £32157 - £42876
Location Offsite V&A storage, Iver
Nomad Friendly? In-person- Iver United Kingdom
Expires Expires at anytime
Organisation summary - The V&A Museum, the world's leading museum of art and design, is an epicenter of creativity spanning 5,000 years of human ingenuity. With a collection exceeding 2.8 million items, the V&A boasts the UK's national collections and an array of resources across various disciplines. The museum is committed to enriching lives by fostering research and enjoyment of the designed world, expanding its global influence, and enhancing visitor experiences through its strategic objectives.
- Role Summary
- Work within a multi-disciplinary team on a unique project involving the David Bowie Archive.
- Contribute to the preservation of approximately 80,000 items from Bowie’s illustrious career.
- Prepare for the opening of the new David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts in 2025.
- Engage in a dynamic role with a fixed-term contract for 12 months.
- Role Requirements
- Experience in conservation, particularly with textiles and performance artefacts.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Passion for the arts and a commitment to the museum's mission.
- Capability to handle the care and preservation of historical items.
- Benefits
- Generous pension scheme and 29 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Flexible working arrangements and a variety of staff discounts.
- Access to professional development opportunities and a supportive Employee Assistance Programme.
The Role
3x Project Conservator (Textiles) 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
