Fri, 01 Aug 2025">published - Fri, 01 Aug 2025
Job Summary
We are seeking a freelance curator who will work with community groups to develop their themes into a small exhibition, showcasing items from the Conan Doyle Collection in our new museum case, and then producing copy and images ready to be sent to designers for two pop up banners per group.
Job Description
In July 2025, Portsmouth City Council's Conan Doyle Collection received National Lottery Project Grant from the Arts Council for Sherlock's Home - Portsmouth Then and Now.
This project will examine Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's time in Portsmouth through the archives and books, looking at Victorian Portsmouth and London and how they compare to now.
The themes are:
Attitudes to Imperialism in Victorian Britain
Comparing Doyle and other Victorian authors and their relationships e.g. Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde
The comparisons between Victorian London and Portsmouth - rich v poor, overcrowding and sanitation
Comparison of Victorian and contemporary writing
Increased travel options in Victorian Britain, magazines (Tit Bits and The Strand) give first hand evidence to social standing and education of this time
Create their own creative response to these
All of the workshops and exhibitions need to be truly accessible for all (one of the groups will be a visually impaired and blind group), and the work produced needs to be interpreted to entertain, educate and promote the Conan Doyle Collection.
The exhibitions will need to take place from mid January - March 2026.
Budget
2 sessions per group x 4 = 8 days @ £300.00 £2400.00
4 half day set up @ £150.00 per day £ 600.00
Please note:
* There is a separate budget for audio description and accessibility.
* We work with many volunteers (called Detectives) who can assist with finding items and supporting access to the Collection, audio describing and supporting workshops.
Job Requirements
Facilitator's Role
We would welcome tenders from anyone that meet the requirements below. There are four main tasks to fulfil this role:
* Able to work with various community groups to help them pull together an exhibition comprising of archives and books from the Collection as well as two pop up banners per group, based on one of the themes above.
* Experience of breaking down and delivering short workshops to a range of people with different abilities and setting work/research that can be done outside of the workshops and be able to translate ideas in a practical way within the set budget.
* Experience and practical knowledge of curating small exhibitions
* An innovative solution and delivery of this brief, especially around making exhibitions accessible
Job Responsibilities
Assessment
At the short listing and interview stages, proposals will be assessed against several criteria including the following:
* Accessibility qualities of the proposal, in workshops and engaging the groups to curate their own exhibitions
* Value for money
* How your proposal meets the points detailed in the 'Facilitators Role' section of this paper, and how it would help advertise the Conan Doyle Collection.
* Examples of your experience of similar projects, and the skills you would bring to the project
Evaluation
You will be expected to write a thorough evaluation report, detailing statistical and qualitative information according to the Arts Council's requirements for evaluation. We would also like a diary to be kept, recording thoughts after each workshop, and about the project overall. More information will be provided at the start of this project.
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