Chance to help make history with new volunteer role

Budding writers are being offered a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at the city’s museums and help bring history in Leeds to life.

The Leeds Museums and Galleries’ digital team are currently recruiting a volunteer to work on their fascinating Secret Lives of Objects blog.

The blog highlights some of the incredible artefacts and exhibits in the Leeds Museums and Galleries collection, which includes more than a million items spanning thousands of years of local and world history.

The new blogger will get the chance to visit museums and galleries sites, research exhibits and interview curators and experts about the collection, then help bring the information together in a regular blog.

Applicants don’t need to have any specific qualifications as training will be provided, but the role is ideally suited to someone with an interest in history and writing with an eye for accuracy and detail.

Items highlighted by the Secret Lives of Objects blog in the past have included historic pages from a 13^th Century copy of the Qur’an, a 19^th Century policeman’s truncheon and a stunning Saxon gold ring unearthed in Leeds field by a local metal detectorist.

Councillor Brian Selby, Leeds City Council’s lead member for museums and galleries, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for history to help bring some of our incredible artefacts to life.

“Leeds has a genuinely world class collection of ancient and modern items and some amazing stories to tell. By going behind the scenes with some of the museums team, our new blogger can help us tell those stories in a whole new way.”

Applications for the role need to be submitted by 5pm on March 7, with an expected start date of late March or early April.

For more information, please visit: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Release%20Documents/Volunteer%20Blogger.pdf or email digital media assistant Jen Newby at jen.newby@leeds.gov.uk

To read the Secret Lives of Objects blog, visit: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/secretlivesofobjects/Pages/default.aspx

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: 

Stuart Robinson

Communications Officer

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 224 3937

Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

www.leeds.gov.uk