Experience | Catherine Mailhac

Freelance projects since 2014

Science Museum	Stakeholder Review: Embedding and disseminating science capital informed practice at the Science Museum Group. Investigating staff and volunteer understanding of science capital research, how they use it in their work and what could be done to better support them doing this. Interviews with 70 staff and volunteers across the Science Museum Group and 15 museums/science centres. Working in collaboration with Helen Corkery, 2020-21 Science Museum Group Participation Review 2020 including interviews with over 40 staff across 4 museums to explore participatory practise across the group and to support the redevelopment of their Participation Toolkit, 2020 London: Science City Participation: Internal and External Stakeholder Review, 2018 and 2020 Medicine Galleries Participation: Internal Stakeholder Reviews, 2017, 2018, 2020
Research Centre for Museums & Galleries, University of Leicester	Researcher – review of LGBTQ equality work by the RCMG to explore the impact of their research on museum thinking, policy, and practice and on motivating action and awareness among LGBTQ equality campaigners. Including interviews and a survey of museums and heritage organisations. Contributing towards the RCMG’s submission for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
Cumbria Museum Directors Group	Project Manager for Natural Connections: Collections, Landscape & Wellbeing project – a programme of research and development for staff and volunteers at six museums, working in partnership with Brantwood, University of Cumbria, Grizedale Forest and Wordsworth Trust, funded by Arts Council England, 2019-20
Museums Sheffield	From Ancient Egypt to Sheffield Stories – evaluation with visitors, co-producers, teachers and staff. In collaboration with Eric Hildrew, 2020 Circus! exhibition and project evaluation for Museums Sheffield, Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life and the Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne. In collaboration with Eric Hildrew, 2018-19 Weston Park Museum Visitor Consultation, 2018 Everyday Wonders book, interpretation for Weston Park Museum, 2017 A Bright Future Weston Park Museum visitor evaluation, 2017 Weston Park Museum Adult Learning Trails user testing, 2016 Going Public project evaluation, 2016 Going Public marketing co-ordination, 2015 Forging the Future Metalwork Collection refurbishment project management, 2015 Drawing the Summer learning project development and co-ordination, 2014
Thames Festival Trust	Foragers of the Foreshore project- evaluation research with participants and stakeholders to feed into Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2019
Port Sunlight Museum	Detailed Interpretation Planning and Development, 2019
RSPB Sherwood Forest	Sherwood Forest – Robin Hood interpretation, visitor research and staff training, 2019
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge	Internal and external stakeholder evaluation for ‘By Endurance We Conquer’ collecting project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, 2019
Unilever Art, Archives and Records Management	Audience Engagement and Creative Development Workshop, 2018 Interpretation and Engagement Training, 2017-18
The Lab	Visitor Evaluation for sensory performance events at Dilston Physic Garden, Northumberland, 2019
Compton Verney	March of the Imagination Project Evaluation with schools, Children’s Centres and creative practitioners, 2018-19
Museum Development North West & Cumbria Museum Directors Group	Ruskin 200, the Lakes and Wellbeing Scoping a creative audience engagement and interpretation project with museums, heritage and forestry organisations, followed by a successful funding application to Arts Council England for £15k 2018-19
Kingston Centre for Independent Living	Fighting for our Rights: Stakeholder Evaluation 2017-18
Museum Development North West	Industrial Heritage Support Programme, 2017-19
University of Sheffield	English Civil War engagement research, 2016
The Poetry Society	SLAMbassadors project evaluation, 2016 SLAMbassadors project advocacy report, 2015
Children & the Arts	Start and Great Art Quest – Evaluation, Research & Advocacy, 2017-18 with Marge Ainsley OperaQuest project evaluation, 2016-17 Great Art Quest project evaluation, annually 2014-17
National Railway Museum	Ambulance Trains, exhibition evaluation, 2017, The Missing Passenger, exhibition evaluation 2017 The Missing Passenger, initial user testing, 2017 Flying Scotsman season evaluation, 2016 Destination Stations exhibition evaluation, 2016 Ambulance Trains exhibition content testing, 2016 Playing Trains exhibition evaluation, 2015 Parallel Tracks exhibition evaluation, 2015
National Science and Media Museum	Supersenses, exhibition evaluation 2017 Sound Schools project evaluation, 2015-16 Visitor Research, 2016
Museums of Cheshire	Narrative Study – narratives, interpretation, programming and partnership development, 2016
English National Ballet	Dance for Parkinson’s event development, 2015
Imperial War Museums	Lives of the First World War resource evaluation, 2015 Centenary Connections – interpretation, 2014
Museum Development Yorkshire	Event Programme Development mentoring for Scarborough Museums Trust, 2015
National Trust: Nostell Priory	Creative interpretation, 2017 Party at the End of the World event programming Lost Voices Changed Lives interpretation
Marge Ainsley Marketing	Selling Egypt – creative storyboarding for The Atkinson, 2014

Full time employment 2001 – 2014

Imperial War Museum North Learning & Events Manager (First World War Centenary) June 2013 – May 2014	Creating and managing Reactions14, a season of creative responses to the First World War Centenary (including English National Ballet, BBC Philharmonic), and Perspectives14, a programme of talks. Co-ordinating the Centenary Partnership across Greater Manchester to produce a digital learning project with 26 partner organisations, and supporting the Centenary Partnership across the North West.
National Portrait Gallery Adult Programmes Officer November 2011 – June 2013	Creating and managing public programmes for a range of adult audiences, including Late Shift activities every Thursday and Friday evening and three high profile Late Shift Extra events per year. Responsible for creating the programme, liaising with speakers and artists, managing freelancers, health and safety, and co-ordinating a budget of £100,000.
London Transport Museum Community Curator June – November 2011	Creating and co-ordinating programmes of community engagement and participatory interpretation of the Transport Poster collection working with community groups, university students and artists.
Museums Sheffield Adult & Informal Learning Co-ordinator September 2009 – May 2011	Creating and co-ordinating public programmes. Developing partnerships with universities and informal adult groups. Interpretation for exhibitions and collections.
Museums Sheffield Gallery Development Co-ordinator May 2007 – August 2009	Co-ordinating refurbishment of Graves Gallery, Learning Centre and Café. Project and budget management. Content creation for multimedia guide and written interpretation. Funding bids.
Eventus Project Manager October 2005 – April 2007	Developing, delivering and managing creative projects in education and regeneration sectors at Eventus, a social enterprise. Created & managed a staff / artist training programme for 27 schools for Creative Partnerships. Designed creative evaluation tools and workshop resources for schools, community and youth groups.
Beighton Villages Development Trust / Eventus Cultural Development Worker (Heritage) April 2003 – September 2005	Creative community capacity building project in former mining area. Trained local volunteers to create heritage website and take oral history interviews for the Discover Beighton project. Worked with community to create two major public art works, school resources, village trail, digital animation and celebration events as part of the Full Circle project. Co-ordinated extensive workshop programme. Developed and delivered Communications Plan.
Museums Sheffield Marketing Assistant October 2001- May 2003	Developed marketing plans, analysed visitor figures, conducted market and customer research, organised events and co-ordinated a team of volunteers.