Freelance Curator – Industrial Heritage Collection

Supported by Art Fund Reimagine Grant funding, the National Coal Mining Museum for England are looking for an experienced curator with expertise in co-creation and work with communities to work with us on a redisplay project and art installation.

Working with our mighty Industrial Heritage collection of mining related machinery, we would like the curator to co-create a gallery space with innovative new interpretation, art installation and accessible exhibits in the Museum’s Power House.  The Power House was developed as an open access store for the Industrial Heritage collection, but this has become overcrowded, hazardous and not accessible or engaging for our visitors.

We want to collect stories about the machinery in our collection from former miners, and by working with communities and individuals to uncover new, lived‑experience narratives from those who used these objects in their working lives. You will work closely with the Collections team to develop this work, leading to a newly curated Power House gallery opening December 2026.

You will carry out regular evaluation throughout the delivery of the project, completing any funding reports and final evaluation report required by the Art Fund Reimagine Grant.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work with former miners, others who worked in the mining industry and lived and worked in mining communities, volunteers, a freelance artist and the Collections Team to transform the open access store into an engaging, curated gallery space to showcase the Industrial Heritage collection, incorporating the associated stories and memories which have been gathered as part of the project. The freelance curator will manage the curation and installation of exhibits and displays, associated interpretation and artwork installation.

Responsibilities will include:

• Working with new and existing community partners exploring the Industrial Heritage collection and what it means to them.
• Curating displays to showcase this work, working with freelance interpretation designers.
• Commissioning freelance interpretation designers to produce graphic elements of displays and interactives.
• Commissioning a freelance artist to create new work in response to the collection, stories and lived experience of ex-miners.
• Carrying out evaluation throughout the duration of the project and producing reports for the Art Fund as required, including the final report.

Requirements and skills

• Proven experience of working with communities to co-produce displays and content rooted in exploration of museum collections
• Excellent people skills.
• Good communication skills, written and verbal including experience in producing museum interpretation.
• Creative flair and a passion for making museum collections accessible
• Strong understanding of the museum and arts sectors.
• Ability to navigate different perspectives and sometimes conflicting viewpoints.
• Experience of object handling, collection management and display.
• Willingness to work collaboratively with colleagues.
• Ability to work flexibly and to deadlines.
• Budget management and reporting.
• Strong commitment to equality and inclusion which is a key element of this role.

To apply, send the following to katie.cavanagh@ncm.org.uk:

• CV
• Cover letter (no more than 2 pages) detailing your suitability for the role including examples of previous work.
• A budget breakdown, detailing how many days’ work at what day rate this would equate to.
• 2 referees (these will only be contacted in the event you are shortlisted for the position)

Please save documents using your name and this job role as the title.

Interviews will take place the w/c 23 March either remotely or at National Coal Mining Museum, Caphouse Colliery, New Road, Overton, Wakefield, WF4 4RH.

Deadline for applications is 16^th March 2026

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments at the interview.