Heritage Collections, University of Edinburgh - Histories of artwork commissions and displays at Old College

Apply for this SGSAH-funded internship with Heritage Collections, University of Edinburgh, up to 12 weeks FTE, between January & April 2025.

The project is titled Histories of artwork commissions and displays at Old College and will involve supporting the Old College Project Curator in undertaking a review of the spaces at Old College by researching and gathering information using the University archives and art collection.

Deadline for Applications is 15th November 2024.

Location

This can be a hybrid placement but will require a number of visits to the archives at the Main Library of the University of Edinburgh as well as research visits to the Old College campus.

Project

The project is titled "Histories of artwork commissions and displays at Old College". This sub-project is part of a larger phased project titled ‘The Old College Heritage & Values Project’. The aims of the larger project are to review and update the current displays of artworks and interpretation in the University’s Old College building as a means of aligning the inclusive values outlined in the University's Strategy 2030 with how the University’s heritage and histories are represented within its iconic building. More information: https://library.ed.ac.uk/heritage-collections/old-college-artwork

The remit of this sub-project is to support the Old College Project Curator in undertaking a review of the spaces at Old College by researching and gathering information using the University archives and art collection. The focus of the research is locating documentation in the archives of decision-making around the commissioning, acquisition and display of the portraiture and other artworks at Old College from the time of its establishment in the early 19th century through to the present.

Outputs

The internship candidate is expected to undertake archival research using the archives and art collection at the University of Edinburgh, and to compile a clear overview of information gathered therein in a format agreed with the Old College Project Curator. The overview document will support the review of the spaces being undertaken by the Curator.

Timescale

Application Deadline: 15th November 2024

Start date (or must start by): 13th January 2025

End date (or must end by): 13th April 2025

Project can be worked full time, part time or flexibly in blocks

Benefits to the Researcher

The internship candidate will benefit from the experience of undertaking archival research as part of a dedicated project that looks to address contemporary inequities and power imbalances in terms of heritage displays. They will be contributing to a unique project at the University which seeks to engage with histories that reveal the entanglements of the University of Edinburgh with Empire and colonialism as well as thinking about how these legacies are reflected through the heritage collections and historic buildings on campus.

The internship candidate will be introduced to a wide range of faculty at the University, including curators, archivists, heritage collections staff, and academics who they will have the opportunity to engage with as part of this project.

The candidate will receive the necessary training that will allow them to access the archives and collections at the University.

They will gain insights into curating art (both historic and contemporary) in historic and heritage settings.

Key Relationships

The internship candidate will be introduced to a wide range of faculty at the University, including curators, archivists, heritage collections staff, and academics who they will have the opportunity to engage with as part of this project.

As part of their task of undertaking research into the histories of commissioning, purchasing, donations and displays at the Old College, they will be required to speak with different members of heritage collections staff who may have information on where to locate this information in the archives as well as individuals who may have living memory of the more recent histories.

They may also be invited to meet the Project Board members who are responsible for the overall governance of the wider project.

Person Specification

Apply here

Return to the Internships & Artists Residencies 2025 page to see other internship opportunities.

First published: 4 October 2024