OXFORD

ARTS + HERITAGE
Harriet Baker
Assistant Digital Producer,
Royal Academy of Arts
Pembroke College, BA
Hons English Language &
Literature, 2011
WHAT: As a digital producer, my job is
to create content for the RA’s website.
The website has two roles: to deliver
information (what exhibitions are on, how
to get there), but also to communicate the
ethos and the history of the RA to new
audiences. It’s about storytelling, and as I
trained as a journalist for two years after
graduation, it’s a good fit.
WHY: I edit, write and commission
articles for the website, create short films
and podcasts and write for our social
media channels. It’s exciting to think
of new ways to illustrate our dynamic
exhibitions programme to a broad range
of audiences. For example, the digital
team interviewed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei
live on Twitter when he visited the RA for
his retrospective, however, my top work
day so far has to be a visit to Edmund de
Waal’s studio, where I interviewed him
about his latest book and his daily life as
a potter.
Outside of my work at the RA, I also write
freelance, including writing on art and
design for the FT, and reviewing books
for the Times Literary Supplement. I’ve
just been shortlisted for the Burlington
Magazine Contemporary Art Writing Prize.
GETTING STARTED: While I was at
University, I knew I wanted to pursue
writing and editing as a career. I
was deputy editor of ISIS and editor
of my college magazine, and used
the Careers Service for CV tips. By
the time I sat Finals, I had a few
internships lined up. I worked as
an editorial assistant at Vogue for 6
months, before internships at the FT,
AnOther and Monocle magazine.
ADVICE: Internships are key. It’s a
good idea to build up your CV as
much as possible, and to show in job
applications the skills you’ve learned
across editorial, digital and social
media. Keep the contact details of
interesting and kind people you meet
along the way, and don’t be afraid
to ask their advice in the future. New
opportunities arise when you least
expect them.
ARTS + HERITAGE
Jozie Kettle
VERVE Programming &
Communications.
Pitt Rivers Museum
St Cross, MSc in Material
Anthropology and Museum
Ethnography, 2011
WHAT: I work in public engagement
and communications at the Pitt
Rivers Museum and my job focuses
on reaching new and often hard-toreach
audiences. I develop new ways
to make the Museum an accessible
and relevant space, creating events
and activities, spreading our reach via
social media and print marketing, or
undertaking community consultations to
improve engagement strategies. I take a
collaborative approach to working with
community groups, artists, academics
and colleagues to engage the public in
meaningful ways.
WHY: I love the diversity of my job – from
the great minds I meet to the collections
I am tasked with connecting the public
with. One day I may be delivering a
session to a group of people living with
dementia, handling unique objects from
our extensive handling collection; the
next, I could be working with students
to co-curate a social event, or be
liaising with Polynesian dancers about
an upcoming performance! It sounds
clichéd but every day is different and I
am passionate about opening up the
Museum to all sections of society.
CAREER PATH: I chose a specialized
MSc as I was set on working
in heritage, particularly with
ethnographic collections. I quickly
realised that traditional curation
was not for me however and that,
instead, public engagement would
be my focus.
My first job was not my dream job
but it allowed me to gain entry level
experience and earn a wage. I was
able to take on extra tasks (museums
are almost always understaffed and
colleagues are often keen for an
eager extra pair of hands) and over
a relatively short time, broadened my
experience and bolstered my CV so I
was ready to make my next step.
ADVICE: I’d advise anyone looking
to break into heritage to volunteer
as much as practicable, but I’d
emphasise that this is not the be
all and end all! Whilst studying, I
volunteered as often as I could -
but in reality I had accrued only a
fortnight or so of volunteering and
once I graduated, I had to focus on
paid work.
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