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Placement at Wessex Museums
Posted on 17 June 2022
Map of Wessex of Thomas Hardy’s Novels and Poems
Kirsty O'Rourke, MA Public History 2021/22
When applying for the MA in Public History, the idea of a 10-week placement really drew me in. Getting experience in the field you want to go into as part of your course is something you just can’t refuse. Little did I know just how worthwhile this placement would be.
My placement was with Wessex Museums, and I was tasked with producing their first-ever podcast. Wessex is where I was brought up, where I went to school, and where I worked. The landscape and history influenced me, and I couldn’t think of a better way to honour this influence.
This year Wessex Museums are celebrating all things Thomas Hardy. They have new exhibitions, live talks, guidebooks and a podcast that all aim to interrogate Hardy, his life, his works, and his impact. Fantastic! The placement was on the podcast. It seemed interesting and promised to develop my digital skills. I applied and got it. The excitement began to build, but then the anxiety set it. I am not a Hardy expert. In fact, before this placement, I had never read a single one of his books. Okay, Kirsty, breathe. I’m sure there are cliff notes online somewhere – side note, there were.
Luckily this placement didn’t require an enthusiasm for Thomas Hardy, it did however create an excitment for him and his life. I worked alongside incredible people including the curator, who’s passion for all things Hardy was contagious. Viewing history through the lens of Thomas Hardy opened up so many avenues that I hadn’t yet investigated. Past me would never have thought that I would know anything about land enclosures, yet alone the amount I now do.
Working with Wessex Museums allowed me to experience the museum sector, to understand the policies, procedures, and funding; it gave me that ‘inside knowledge’ that has benefited my learning on my masters. Public history is vast and varied and this small time in the sector changed how I view the industry. It showed to me the barriers and limitations felt by those who work to make history accessible to all. While it has made me somewhat downhearted about the limitations museum professionals face, it has also given me drive to try and work with these amazing people to try and make those changes.
One of these amazing people was the Marketing and Digital Officer who helped me develop my digital skills. She supported me to get to grips with recording equipment and platforms. Not only do I now understand about digital recording, but I also understand the social media and marketing side. This has been invaluable experience for me as the heritage world continues to get to grips with the digital world.
Okay so this placement wasn’t all sunshine and roses like I’m portraying. I met stumbling blocks along my way. A major one? Blog posts for museums should be about 500 words, not my regular 1,200. Imagine my horror when I was asked to cut it by over half. I kid. There will always be stumbling blocks in anything you work in, but what this showed to me is that these stumbling blocks are just times to learn, to develop and to keep improving. In the past, stumbling blocks would have been a time where I felt I should give up. I am indebted to Wessex Museums, IPUP and Dr Victoria Hoyle for helping me see that this is not the case.
I feel so fortunate to have had an incredible placement where I learnt so much and gained valuable experience. I feel even more fortunate that from this Wessex Museums has hired me as a freelancer to complete the podcasting project. Now, I know how worthwhile this placement was.
You can read more about this podcasting project here.