Matthew - BA(Hons) History
As part of the BA(Hons) History course Matthew undertook a placement at Arnos Vale cemetery. Find out what this involved...
How did the placement come about?
During my second year I took part in the
Public History module which was a prerequisite for the
third year History in the Public Space placement module.
Having found Public History fascinating I decided to
select the placement module as one of my final year choices. The
module leader arranged placements at several different heritage or
public history related organisations and I was offered the choice
to work at Arnos Vale Cemetery.
What did the placement involve? How did it relate to your course?
Each placement was different depending on
the needs of the organisation. My placement involved working
in the Anglican Crypt area, cataloguing and organising artefacts
into display spaces as well as creating a working database of the
artefacts present. The end goal of the crypt project is to open the
area up to the public as a museum/display space. This project fed
directly into my studies of public history and it presented me
with new approaches and issues common within the heritage
sector. Ultimately, it provided me with the opportunity
to put into practice much of the theory I had learnt during the
previous year’s module.
What were the highlights?
Arranging the artefacts into a display once
they had been recorded and catalogued was a big highlight for me.
The moment when the vault space within the crypt became a
historical display left me with a sense of pride in my
accomplishments. I also highly enjoyed the occasional detective
work when I had to search the records for the names and locations
of graves and artefacts that had been found in the crypt.
What skills did you develop?
I have gained a deeper understanding of the
heritage sector as a whole and the problems such organisations
face. My work ethic has blossomed and the skills and experiences I
have developed relating to collections management I hope will serve
me well in the future.
How has it prepared or influenced your postgraduate career?
Working on my placement at Arnos Vale has
given me a strong desire to seek a career within the heritage
sector, which is something I wouldn’t have imagined three years
ago.
Anything else you would like to add about History at UWE?
The History course at UWE boasts a very high
calibre of teaching staff, the support they have offered over the
years has been fantastic. History at UWE has been engaging,
fascinating and enjoyable.
Page last updated 30 January 2012