Curatorial Assistant Doctoral Placement: Exhibitions, Learning and Outreach
As part of the university’s Cultural Services Team, the Curatorial Assistant Doctoral Placement Student will support a range of curatorial, learning and public engagement activities connected to the delivery of the university’s exhibition programme. The placement combines exhibition research and development, logistical and administrative support, and hands-on assistance with public engagement and education activities in the Emily Wilding Davison (EWD) Exhibition Space.
The focus of the 2026 placement will be on exhibitions learning and outreach. Working closely with the Cultural Services team, project curators and the schools and widening access teams, the placement holder will support the development and delivery of educational resources, schools programming, tours, and workshop activities linked to exhibitions. This will include identifying ways to communicate research themes to young audiences, helping ensure that exhibitions are accessible, relevant and engaging for school and college visitors.
The placement student will assist with the coordination and delivery of learning sessions, contribute ideas and content for online and physical resources, and help collect and collate evaluation and feedback to inform future programming. They will also support day-to-day gallery operations, ensuring visitors have a positive experience of the university’s cultural spaces.
As part of a small team, this role offers scope to build broad-based experience across curatorial practice, learning and outreach, audience engagement, and the operations of a gallery programme. Training will be provided by the Head of Cultural Services and Art Collections Officer. Applications are welcomed from students of any discipline.
There is a requirement to be on campus to undertake this placement.
The role holder must support gallery operations in person on Wednesdays and will be primarily campus-based for two days per week. Limited remote working may be agreed for specific tasks. The post may require moving exhibition materials or bulky items.
This is a 3-month placement for current doctoral students at Royal Holloway. The placement must be completed by the end of July 2026.
Closing Date
23.59 hours GMT on Tuesday 20 January 2026
View vacancy here and apply
Archive Assistant Doctoral Placement Student: Promoting Research Use of the Collections
As part of the university’s Cultural Services Team, the Archive Assistant Doctoral Placement Student will support a programme of work designed to strengthen and promote the research use of Royal Holloway’s archival and special collections. The 2026 placement centres on a focused project to articulate the research potential of the collections by identifying thematic strengths, uncovering underused materials, and developing resources that proactively connect the archives to academic, student and researcher communities.
Working closely with the Head of Cultural Services, the placement holder will map and interpret key research pathways within the collections, develop engaging tools and outputs that foreground these areas, and take an active role in promoting the archives as a research infrastructure. This will include working directly with relevant Research Centres and Institutes to test and share findings and contributing to the convening of a pilot research “sandpit” or roundtable, supporting agenda development, materials preparation and coordination, with the aim of holding at least one exploratory meeting before the placement ends.
Alongside this project, the placement holder will gain experience across the day-to-day operation of a professional archive service. They will assist with supervised reader services, cataloguing and collections tasks, digitisation, and public- or teaching-facing activity, contributing to a complete understanding of archival work in a higher education environment. Training will be provided across core archival processes including handling, production, preservation and documentation.
In-person attendance is essential to support service delivery. The placement holder must be on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays each week, with limited remote work possible for agreed tasks.
This part-time placement runs from January to July 2026 for current Royal Holloway doctoral students.
Closing Date
23.59 hours GMT on Tuesday 20 January 2026
View vacany here and apply