The National Trust Partnership at Oxford University supports research into histories of the charity’s properties, landscapes and collections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through a range of academic collaborations and knowledge exchange activities. Working alongside the partnership team and National Trust staff, this micro-internship will provide insights into the heritage sector and public history initiatives through the lens of curatorial research.
What you will do:
Working remotely as part of a small team, you will undertake desk-based research using a range of online archives and resources to support one of a number of live National Trust projects. Projects will cover a range of subject disciplines, geographic areas and historic properties, and will be confirmed and allocated following intern recruitment. Previous intern projects have included research into historic painting collections, ethnographic objects and collecting histories, census research and social histories, colonial connections, and international trade relationships.
Working with primary and secondary sources to interrogate thematic links to National Trust properties and collections, you will submit your research findings as a written report which will be shared with National Trust curators. Interns will have the opportunity to meet regularly with the supervisory team, National Trust staff and fellow interns via Microsoft Teams video calls.
What you will gain
By the end of the internship you will have gained experience of curatorial research, an insight into how research informs heritage projects, and experience of using historical resources. You will also have the opportunity to compile a curatorial research report and discuss your findings at the end of the week with members of the Oxford partnership team and National Trust staff.
Candidates will be considered from any Humanities subject area, from second-year undergraduate level and above.
Candidates must demonstrate good written communication skills, experience of using archival research material, an ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and a keen interest in working in – or with – the heritage sector.
Further details & how to apply
Application closing date: Wednesday 25 October
Reference ID: Z777M
Week 10: Monday 11 to Friday 15 December 2023. Please note that the Employer is unable to accommodate another week.
Students are required to commit to the full micro-internship - as with any professional placement - and any concerns about dates should be raised with the Internship Office in advance of making an application.
