Routes into Heritage: Paul Baker: Executive Director – Creswell Heritage Trust

Sector entrants! It is the beginning of the academic year, and many are starting on new pathways through work/education. This month we are exploring people’s educational routes and people’s alternative routes into heritage. We hope this will give the reader an insight into all the many ways others have broken into the industry. Getting that first break can be frustrating but also an exciting journey it’s good to see how others have navigated it or are navigating it.

Image: Creswell Crags.

Paul what has your education and subsequent career path been?

I left school without qualifications and forged a career within the retail management, buying and training sectors, returning to academia in my 30s. I undertook a Humanities Degree followed by an MA in Heritage Management. My first role was as an Exhibition Researcher within the team which created ThinkTank in Birmingham. I gained useful knowledge in project management, exhibition development and the relocation of a large collection. These skills resulted in me securing the role of Project Curator at the Galleries of Justice for the relocation and exhibition development of the HM Prison Service Gallery. What followed was a series of curatorial roles as well as consultancy work (primarily in exhibition development). The variety of roles I took on during my period as a consultant left me with an invaluable breadth of knowledge and experience.

Why museums and heritage?

The answer to this question has changed over the years. Initially it was driven by a love of history and aesthetics. It seemed like a good fit for someone with a history in retail display and a love of storytelling and beautiful objects. It helped that I had skills in merchandising and a visitor focussed approach. However, having worked in the sector for nearly 25 years, the answer now is that it is the only thing I’ve ever been good at, I am well suited to a role in museums. In return it has provided me with endless challenges and problems to be solved. It continues to engage me and demand new ways to engage with our audience. As you might expect I have been drawn towards the independent sector where my interest in the needs of our audience is equal to my interest in the commercial challenges.

What is your current role like? What about it makes you want to get up in the morning?

The pandemic has challenged all of our assumptions about the culture of visiting museums over the next few years. No one knows when we might return to pre-pandemic numbers let alone the increase in income figures many of us had predicted in our budgets in 2019. My current role is to navigate without the benefit of learnt experience. The reason I get up in the morning is because I hope I can make a difference.

What does an average week look like for you?

No two days are ever the same. I have a team of 36 staff of which 10 are Management. These 10 occupy a variety of roles; curatorial, education, digital, finance, commercial, estates, programming, marketing, fundraising etc and on any one day any number of them might need to engage me in resolving an issue or in consideration of a proposal. My role suits someone who can easily shift their attention to something new. In addition to this my role is to ensure that the business is viable and in a COVID-19 world this has become increasingly challenging. More regularly my role is focussed on strategy and networking in an attempt to further our ambitions.

What are the biggest challenges? What are the compromises in a museum and heritage career?

 Questions about the post-pandemic world are currently my biggest concerns, but from a career perspective the biggest challenge has been to remain in the sector. Necessity has forced me to take low paid short term contracts without the assurance of a continual role in the sector. As a consequence I had to adapt to a variety of roles within very different institutions. It has sometimes been extremely difficult to remain in the sector as I was dependent upon the availability of new posts. Not all of the posts are those I would have chosen if I had the choice, but all have taught me invaluable lessons. The compromise was many years in low paid uncertain roles and as a consequence my pension is not as healthy as it might otherwise have been. No one works in this sector for the money. If I had the same choices today I would still choose to work in Museums.

What are your career aspirations?

My ambitions are for my museum. I believe it is a world class attraction which has not always received the attention and support it deserves and my ambition is to lead the necessary development plans to ensure it is more resilient and sustainable in future. It would be the icing on the cake if we secure World Heritage Site status during this period. I am also ambitious for my personal development and am particularly keen to ensure I have the necessary skills to support our team to achieve greatness.

Do you feel like you are making a difference in your job?

If I ever don’t feel that I am making a difference I will reluctantly move to a different institution. As Director I have to make a difference or step aside for someone who can. I feel I am making a difference and creating opportunities for us all to grow.

Paul Baker member of the board at Culture Syndicates: http://culturesyndicates.co.uk