This year, the Coffin Works has welcomed two heritage interns through a grant funded through the Art Fund and Student Art Pass. Harry, one of our interns, reflects on the first six months of his year-long internship, which is his first foray into the museum sector, highlighting his experiences, newly acquired skills, and some of the people he has met along the way. We hope you enjoy!
As I sit down to reflect on my experiences and takeaways from the first six months of my internship, I am overseeing an evening of paranormal investigation at the old factory on Fleet Street, ensuring that any ghosts uphold our reputation as a welcoming heritage location. This may seem odd to some, but this unique experience aptly demonstrates the breadth of day-to-day experiences that you encounter working at one of Birmingham’s best, but more niche, museums. In other words, you never quite know what you might be doing next, and that means that you must be ready to get stuck in at all times. It is a good thing that I will try anything, at least once.
When applying for the internship on the Student Art Pass website in 2024, I had heard of the Victorian manufactory in the Jewellery Quarter but had not yet visited. At the time, I was not entirely sure of my career path, but when I saw the opportunity for a paid (yes, paid) heritage internship in Birmingham, I jumped at the rare opportunity. As an art history student at the University of Birmingham, I knew I wanted to venture into the world of arts and culture; however, I had not seen heritage museums as the most obvious pathway for me- perhaps due to my picking Geography over History for my GCSEs, something I would live to regret, but I digress. Therefore, when having been accepted for an interview, I was apprehensive, feeling a slight case of imposter syndrome. Thankfully, the team put me at ease from the beginning and leaving the interview, it was clear that even if the result had differed, I was open to new career prospects, and I was excited to get involved. Six months on, I feel like I have integrated into the museum and know, at least in part, the path I want to head down as I begin my career. This experience has felt transformative, opening my mind to the varied possibilities and importance of the museums and culture sector, despite the barrage of funding cuts. It must be stressed that the quality of your worklife is in part due to the people that you work with. The warmth, camaraderie, and passion from the team are infectious, and I will remain proud to have been involved with one of Birmingham’s finest museums.
The primary goal of the internship is to develop an Audience Development Plan which aims to understand the museum’s visitors better, identifying core audiences as well as those not coming to the museum, why this might be, and how we can encourage them to engage with us. If all goes to plan, this will result in an implementation of new events, novelty tours and other offerings, as well as diversifying our social media output to expand our reach to our identified target audiences. In an attempt to be data-driven in decision-making, we have launched two survey campaigns (I can only apologise if you have been bombarded with survey questions). This first round of data will be followed by a second later in the year, building on what has been learnt, and trying other avenues of enquiry. Alongside working on the plan, I have been working around the museum, in the shop or café, room enabling or, most recently, working as a tour guide. Due to the relatively small size and workforce of the museum, I have had the good fortune to be involved all over, giving me both the skills in the administrative side, but also a broad understanding of how each person at the museum works like a cog in a well-oiled machine. At this very early point in my career, this opportunity to see the full picture is invaluable and will be carried forward as I develop throughout my career.
However, as I pat myself on the back for my hard work, I must spotlight the support and additional workshops, events and opportunities that have been afforded to me by Sarah Hayes (director of Coffin Works and Birmingham Conservation Trust), and the Coffin Works staff, Claire, Megan, and Emma. Only a few weeks ago, I attended conservation training led by Birmingham Museums Collections Care Officer Jane Thompson Webb. This formally introduced me to another avenue of museum care, and though I was not unaware of its importance, the hands-on training, contextualised through the collection of Coffin Works, put it into perspective. I have done numerous webinars, late-night events, and have become one of our baristas all while having a great time. This follows on from what I alluded to at the beginning, that no day here is the same. Each day, I find out which volunteers are in, see what my responsibilities are for the day, but one thing remains constant: the joy I get from working here and the enthusiasm that exudes from everyone.
As I look ahead to the end of the year, thinking, “where did 2025 go?”, I will be looking to develop more skills through professional experiences, such as writing funding grants, organising my own events, and working towards the final Audience Development Plan. The prospect of the latter excites me greatly, working alongside my fellow heritage intern, Hannah Cleallsmith, to implement a framework and plan for the museum to engage with and adapt over the coming years. Having a lasting positive impact on this institution, which I hope to stay close to for the foreseeable future, is an amazing prospect and one which I hope benefits the business, the staff, and volunteers, but ultimately, you, our visitors. The goal of creating an Audience Development Plan is to deliver the most enriching, diverse, and informative experience possible. Particularly in the landscape that the heritage and culture sector finds itself in today, there has never been a greater need, and opportunity, for museums and culture-related locations to bridge the gap with their audiences to create a lasting positive relationship whereby we can create spaces and experiences in which you want to invest.
Finally, a massive thank you to Sarah Hayes and the Coffin Works team, as well as Student Art Pass and the Art Fund, who funded and posted the internship so that Hannah and I were able to pursue this opportunity, getting our foot in the door in this industry. These types of opportunities do not come around very often in Birmingham, and even fewer are for a year or paid. I will forever be indebted to you for the help, opportunities and kindness. Finally, I must also call out to you, our visitors, to come back soon, and if you have some extra time and a passion for heritage and giving back, there is no greater family to be welcomed into. And to any future interns at the Coffin Works, make the most of this time, as you will get a lot from your time here and meet amazing people along the way.
If you would like to volunteer with the Coffin Works, please get in touch with [volunteers@coffinworks.org] to make an enquiry.
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By Harry Lubkowski
