This month our interview series is introducing the ICOM UK Committee members who are planning and organising this year’s online Working Internationally Conference.
Organised in partnership with NMDC, with support from the British Council and with curatorial support from Barker Langham, the 2021 Working Internationally Conference: Shifting Landscapes, Shifting Perspectives takes the form of online sessions spread over three days, 16 – 18 March 2021. Each conference day explores a key sector theme – Social Justice, Sustainability, and Futures, and is chaired by an ICOM Committee member or partner.
Catherine McDermott, ICOM UK Secretary and Interim Vice-Chair talks to Hannah Crowdy, ICOM UK Committee member and Head of Curatorial at National Museums Northern Ireland.
Q: Could you tell us more about your role at National Museums Northern Ireland?
A: I have been working at National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) for nearly twelve years, and have been Head of Curatorial since 2017. I have to confess that when I was originally interviewed by the organisation it was my first visit to the island of Ireland, but I am now proud to call this place home. At NMNI we run four museums – the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk Museum, the Ulster Transport Museum, and the Ulster American Folk Park – and are custodians for around 1.4 million specimens which cut across the disciplines of Art, History and Natural Sciences. I am responsible for managing our curators, education team and CEDaR – the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording. That’s around 40 people in total, all with amazing skills, knowledge and passion they bring to their roles. It’s a privilege to be Head of Curatorial in such a diverse and dynamic organisation, and my working life is never dull!
Q: What is your background in museums?
A: I started out as a social history curator, working in a range of local authority and independent museums. I enjoyed the work but always say that my ‘butterfly mind’ meant I did not have the dedication and focus required to be an excellent curator. So I made a sideways move into collections interpretation, which opened up other types of collection to me and meant I got to work on exciting exhibitions and events, including launching our first ever museum lates. This kept me busy for eight years before I decided to apply for the Head of Curatorial role. As in any sector, it is challenging and daunting to make the step up to a more senior role but I am fortunate to have had good support and guidance from colleagues and friends.
Throughout my career, I have sought opportunities to serve on different boards and committees, and undertaken a range of different continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities, such as the Associateship of the Museums Association and the Oxford Cultural Leaders programme.
Q: You joined the ICOM UK committee recently, in 2020. What made you want to get involved?
A: At NMNI, we are engaged in the global dialogue about the role museums play in representing contested histories and dealing with the legacy of the past. This had made me aware of the importance of ICOM as an international museums network, and I was interested in how I could get involved through ICOM UK.
I was keen to represent the interests and perspectives of the museum sector in Northern Ireland, as from experience there are often no NI voices on UK committees. I hoped that the knowledge and understanding I have about museums here would enable me to increase their profile, and raise awareness of our very particular context and the challenges and achievements that come with that.
Q: Would you tell members about the Social Justice Day at the conference? Why did the committee feel this was an important theme?
A: It is interesting that I am responding to this question on a day when I am representing my organisation on a discussion panel about social justice and activism in museums, organised as part of the Douglass in Cork Festival – it is a hot topic.
Social justice is not something any of us can ignore if museums are to deliver as inclusive and relevant public spaces It is about us acknowledging and activating the role we play in society, speaking out against injustice, democratising our practice and encouraging discourse, debate and empathy. The rallying cry that ‘museums are not neutral’ has been energising and transformative for our sector, although we are often still too slow to turn it into meaningful action. Not that I can claim the credit for the programme (thank you to our wonderful Conference Working Group), but we have some incredible speakers lined up for Social Justice Day who I know will inspire and galvanise us all.
Q: What do you see as the future role for ICOM UK and the committee?
A: I hope we can help the UK museum sector navigate the choppy waters ahead, as we continue to be buffeted by the impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit. We may not be travelling as much as we once did, but I think we have the potential to be more internationally connected than ever before, and ICOM UK can help broker these connections. We will need to reprioritise and adapt our operating models, but change is good!
ICOM UK, ICOM and NMDC members can book free conference tickets via Eventbrite. Tickets are also on sale for non-members.
