ASSISTANT ARCHIVIST - ORAL HISTORY PROJECT (12 MONTHS FIXED TERM CONTRACT)
Display Salary: £25,000
Date Posted: 02 Aug 2018
Advertising End Date: 16 Aug 2018
Vacancy Type: Fixed term contract
Salary: £25,000
 
For nearly 150 years we have been fulfilling our vision of inspiring artists and audiences worldwide with the magic of the iconic Royal Albert Hall; creating life-enriching, unforgettable experiences for everyone. Hosting 390 events a year in the main auditorium and more than 800 in other smaller spaces, the Royal Albert Hall stands true to its original purpose of promoting the Arts and Sciences. As a charity, the Hall is dedicated to maintaining the Grade I listed building and giving access to all.

THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL'S VISION & VALUES
Our vision is to inspire artists and audiences worldwide with the magic of the iconic Royal Albert Hall, creating life-enriching, unforgettable experiences for everyone. The Royal Albert Hall is more than just a building. Together we are…

One team. Passionate. Open to all.

THE ROLE
We are looking for a qualified Archivist with an interest in oral history and the performing arts to help us capture the heritage of the Royal Albert Hall in the run-up to our 150th anniversary in 2021. In this role you will work as an integral part of the Hall’s Archive Team helping to collect, preserve, and make accessible the Hall’s nationally and internationally important archive collections and performance history.

The primary focus of the role will be to continue and complete our Albert Speaks! Oral History Project, which was successfully started in 2017 and has been generously funded by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. This work will involve interviewing people who have performed on stage; attended as part of the audiences; promoted shows or worked at the Royal Albert Hall and to uncover personal memoires of the Royal Albert Hall. By doing so we aim to capture stories and facts, to build up a picture of the Hall through the generations, and significantly, enhance knowledge of the Grade 1 listed building, significant events and what makes the Hall unique for performers and employees in preparation for the Hall’s anniversary in 2021.

The role-holder will therefore be responsible for initiating, co-ordinating, researching, carrying out, preserving and cataloguing a series of digital oral history interviews averaging 1-2 hours each. The post holder will be expected to carry out and document approximately 25 interviews using provided recording equipment. The recorded conversations will primarily take place at the Royal Albert Hall but may also take place in the interviewee’s home or workplace and therefore travel in and around the London area should be expected. Working with colleagues at the Hall you will lead on the exploitation and interpretation of interviews for the public benefit.

THE PERSON
The successful candidate should have experience of cataloguing using CALM or equivalent software to appropriate professional standards, a willingness to gain a deep understanding of the organisational structure and history of the Royal Albert Hall and have demonstrable experience of and interest in undertaking oral history projects. They should also have the ability to work as part of a close-knit team, as well as independently.

This role will involve a combination of working off site in and around London (and occasionally out of London) and working at the Hall. As this role will spend some time lone working off site, you will be required to keep the Archive Manager updated with your whereabouts for safety reasons. Please note that any offers of employment will be subject to successful eligibility and reference checks.

No agencies please.

If this role sounds like the right one for you, we’d love for you to visit our website to find out more: https://jobs.royalalberthall.com/vacancies/vacancy-details.aspx?VacancyID=357

The closing date for all applications is midday on 16 August 2018.

The Royal Albert Hall is a registered charity (no. 254543) and strives to be an equal opportunities employer.

If you would like to discuss the role further please contact Liz Harper (Archive Manager) on 020 3036 9033 or [log in to unmask]

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