And Now the End is Near

 It is time to draw to a close the adventure that has been Culture Syndicates.

We will cease operations in September 2024, after almost 15 years of activity and 10 years as a social enterprise. We were still employing apprentices and heritage assistants right up to the end. We have given experience to countless young people looking to make a start in the heritage world and supported countless museums and other heritage clients over the years.

I hope someone picks up this baton and has the vision to take on this idea as a sustainable way of giving real experience to young people that neither a university course or simple volunteering can ever do.

 Totally independent of funding, or major institutional support the company grew and had its best year in 2019, working nationally and even internationally, even beginning to support international graduates in their ambitions.

 Unfortunately the pandemic was the event from which we never fully recovered despite the generous support of the Arts Council and Government grants. Rebuilding the company and maintaining the flow of contracts and assistants became more difficult in the following years and the time has come to draw a line while the company is still viable.

There are far too many people to thank, mentors, heritage colleagues, staff and the all important heritage assistants have all played their part. There are two individuals who need special mention -  Jess Tarver and Charlie Gregson, who had the vision to transform the small social enterprise into a Community Interest Company in 2014 began the process of growth and who oversaw the organisation's most successful years. 

I am sure there will be time to reflect in the future and have much more to say about the structural problems inherent in the heritage sector workforce (I include in this the thousands of volunteers and the plethora of university courses producing hundreds of new graduates every year). 

I hope Culture Syndicates took some responsibility for trying to help both the volunteers and graduates and played a small part in launching some new heritage careers.  

All the best to everyone working in the sector (and those wanting to work in the sector), it is still the best career in the world and may the visitors keep coming and the funding never dry up.