Oliver, Exhibitions Assistant
With an MA in Art History, Oliver joined the Royal Collection Trust Curatorial Internship programme in Decorative Arts.
"The internship programme is a perfect example of how the organisation supports professional development. It provided me with all the basic training I needed to kick-start a career, through an established programme of on-the-job learning, and in-house and external courses".
"While my internship mainly focused on professional development, the Household very actively encourages personal development too. I have had the opportunity to attend lectures and conferences, and visit other art institutions and networking events with our arts sector colleagues".
"During my internship I realised how creative and stimulating a job within Royal Collection Trust could be, and so towards the end of my programme I applied for a permanent role within the Exhibitions section".
"My colleagues and I are responsible for overseeing the logistics of exhibitions and displays across all our major sites. We play a key role in shaping how the Royal Collection is accessed and perceived by the public".
"I work within a relatively small team and so have lots of opportunities to get involved and take responsibility that I might not have had elsewhere".
My internship programme is a perfect example of how the organisation supports professional development.
"However, staging exhibitions within working Royal residences often makes the job less straightforward than it would be in a museum or gallery. But it's these challenges and the opportunity to work with different colleagues that adds an extra dimension to the job".
"Seeing an exhibition on an opening night with the works of art arranged, and lit, in a way that will capture the imagination of our audience is ample reward for months of planning, spreadsheets, emails and long days".
Finally, we asked Oliver what else he'd like to share about working for the Royal Household.
"There is such a thing as a free lunch!"
To find out more about Royal Collection Trust internship opportunities click here.
