Significant Collections Curator – The Culture Trust Luton

About us

The Culture Trust Luton is an independent cultural charity. It produces and presents year round programmes of activity across its theatres, museums, arts centres, gardens, historic hat factories and creative spaces. The Trust manages the town’s heritage collections and archives and has a collection of over 2 million artefacts. It holds the most extensive and complete Hat and Headwear collection in the UK and the Mossman carriage collection at Stockwood Discovery Centre is the largest in Europe. The Trust is proud to be based in Luton where it welcomes thousands of regular local and national audiences to its venues.

About the job

Salary: £32,798 – £35,336 a year

Hours per week: 37

The Culture Trust Luton manages the town’s heritage collections and archives. It holds over 2 million artefacts and has the most extensive and complete Hat Industry and Headwear collection in the UK. It’s Mossman carriage collection at Stockwood Discovery Centre is the largest in Europe.

We are seeking an experienced, dedicated, and ambitious Curator to join our team and manage our significant Hat Industry and Headwear collection. We have been collecting hats and hat industry materials since the museum opened in 1927. The collection celebrates Luton as the centre of English hat making and documents its international connections through this trade.

This role will work with the Head of Heritage and Collections and the Creative Director to develop and deliver world-class Hat Industry and Headwear programmes and exhibitions, support new projects and initiatives that promote and develop the collection.

About you

The new Curator will support the Trust to develop study and research programmes that will develop the Hat Research Centre at Wardown House Museum and Gallery, and promote the Hat collection nationally and internationally. The postholder will have a key role in making the collection more accessible to milliners, students, researchers, artists and those interested in fashion, culture, technology or industry.

In this new dynamic role, the Curator will undertake the administration of the projects, including budgets and the coordination and of project staff and volunteers. They will be primarily based at Wardown House Museum and Gallery, with opportunities to work across all Culture Trust sites.

Application Process

Click here for the full job description and to make an application>>

Closing date: 7 August 2022

Interview date: Week Commencing 15 August 2022