Project Researcher

Museum of Colour; England; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A cultural institution in the UK is seeking a Project Researcher for Test Card. The successful candidate will conduct research on the contributions of people of colour to British heritage and create engaging exhibition materials. This role offers a hybrid working model with a focus on independent scheduling and collaboration at key events. The position is contracted for a duration of five months, with a total compensation of £4,500.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Ability to present information appropriately and maintain accuracy.
• High level of spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research into the contribution of people of colour to British heritage, 1950-2016.
• Write engaging text for six Test Card exhibition information boards.
• Create chronological timelines by ethnicity.

Skills

In-depth knowledge of British television

Connection to ethnic diversity within British television since the 1950s

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Ability to manage varied and high volume workloads under pressure

Excellent IT skills (Microsoft Suite, SharePoint, Adobe, Teams, Zoom)

Job description

Job title: Project Researcher for Test Card

Period of contract: December 2025 – April 2026

Contract: £4,500 flat rate

Hours: Exact days TBC

Start date: On boarding from the 11th of December 2025. Exact start date TBC

Location: Hybrid model (flexible) with some in-person attendance required at events

Reports to: Samenua Sesher, Museum of Colour Director

Works closely with: Emily Crouch, Project Development Producer

*Hours of work: You will arrange the times and dates on which you work, with Samenua Sesher, Director. You will give reasonable notice to the team of your availability with the MoC diary to enable the project to be successfully completed, enable MoC meetings to include your attendance as necessary, and for you to support the overall project. The majority of your working time can be self‑scheduled but you will be required to be in attendance at key meetings and public moments of the programme.

Responsibilities / duties

• To conduct research into the contribution of people of colour to the heritage of British, 1950‑2016.
• Research should include both behind the scene rolls and rolls in front of the camera.
• Create a long list on contributors for the project co‑curators to consider by the end of December 2025.
• To write fresh, accessible, engaging and informative text for six Test Card exhibition information boards (100‑120 words each) as follows:
• Board 1: introduction
• Board 2: 20th century (1950s, 1960s, 1970’s)
• Board 3: 20th century (1980s – 1990s)
• Board 4: 21st century (2010)
• Board 5: 21st century (2011 – 2016)
• Board 6: Conclusion
• To draw out the following themes in the information boards:
• Trends: how many? How concentrated? Where?
• Controversies and comedies
• Racial population make up: how many? Make up? Locations?
• Key events in social history
• To write short captions for the 30 portrait sitters in the Test Card exhibition.
• To create four chronological timelines by ethnicity (African, Caribbean, Asian, South East Asian).
• To provide draft copy by 30th March 2026 at the latest for feedback and comments.
• Share the project on your social media channels.
• Work with the project partners to agree working dates to access different archives

Person Specification

Required experience and knowledge

• An in‑depth knowledge of British television
• A connection to and knowledge of the ethnic diversity within British television since the 1950’s
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Ability to manage varied and high volume workloads under pressure
• Ability to present information appropriately and to maintain a high level of accuracy with attention to detail
• High level of spoken and written English
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• The ability to work flexibly and prioritise tasks
• The ability to work independently, with a high level of individual responsibility
• Excellent IT skills (Microsoft Suite, SharePoint, Adobe, Teams and Zoom)
• Enthusiasm for Museum of Colour

Desirable

Experience of working in the creative industries or cultural sector

Even if you do not meet every single requirement, please do apply.

Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Museum of Colour, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate.

Diversity Monitoring

PPP is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England. As part of our funding agreement, we are required to send ACE diversity monitoring statistics for all our staff and all freelancers/contractors we work with. As part of our internal equality monitoring, we also monitor the diversity of candidates who apply for advertised roles, those who are shortlisted for interview, and those who are successful.

The information you supply will be kept anonymously. When we receive the survey back from you, we will give it an alphanumeric code and separate it from your written application, which will be assessed without reference to the information disclosed on the survey. A list of names with codes will be kept securely for later analysis.

People’s Palace Projects is a Disability Confident Committed employer.

• All candidates disclosing a disability and who demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria of the Person Specification will qualify for an interview
• At the point of inviting candidates for interview, we will ask about any additional needs or adjustments that would be required to support your participation in the process.
• Our current staff includes people who disclose disabilities, neurodiversities, and mental health needs.

Application Process

To apply for this position, please send us your CV with a referee and a covering letter that shows how you meet the spec.

The deadline for application is Monday 1st December, 5.00pm. Interviews will take place during the week commencing 8th December.

We regret that it will not be possible to inform applicants who are not shortlisted for the role. If you have not heard from us by Friday 5th November, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

If you have any questions or issues with submission, please contact [e-mail]

Thank you in advance, and we look forward to hearing from you!

This post is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.