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Thank you so much to the fabulous @CarolineMcCaff from the @V_and_A for delivering the final keynote of our #Careers event with such honesty and truthful insight.The keynote will be available on the @forarthistory website soon, but these are some of the main highlights
Caroline has worked across art institutions and universities over the past 6-7 years to carve out a space for herself and speaks frankly about the challenges, difficulties and the realities of #precarity and the toll that it can take
Caroline is originally from rural #Ireland and didnât grow up with #arthistory or thinking âit was for me.â
On a trip to London at the age of 12, she was overwhelmed by Van Goghâs sunflowers and the imposing NG building, and questioned, who works here? How do you get here? Art history certainly seemed elitist and for not for her
Caroline grew up as a teenager during the end of the Troubles in Ireland and started to think about how #arthistory was relevant to her in the significance of the colour of school uniforms, the murals appearing in towns and the new architecture being built in bombed-out spaces.
Caroline decided to study art history and French at the University of St Andrews, which was a huge culture shock. Art history still seemed elitist (she was one of a few students who had to work part-time jobs to survive) but her teachers and lecturers were inspiring
At the end of her undergrad degree, Caroline got a paid internship working for @LyonandTurnbull auction house in Edinburgh which set her on her career path in decorative arts.
Auction houses can be elitist, unwelcoming spaces and many students people donât realise that auction house are open to the public. Caroline encourages students to go to private views and look at all the objects on display and talk to the specialists.
Being a young woman from Ireland has its challenges â Caroline speaks frankly about patronising attitudes to young women academics (dropping the âDrâ from titles)
Also comments on her Irish accent and pronunciation of English names (which she had only before read). Recalls experience of being handed a list of words she had âmispronouncedâ after giving a conference paper. This is not acceptable and we have to work to change this culture.
Still, Caroline acknowledges her position of privilege and is passionate about breaking down barriers, making people welcome and encouraging thinking critically about how and if we belong in museums spaces.
The art and museum sector can be hugely exploitative and gaining experience can require unpaid work. Caroline simply couldnât afford to take unpaid work so worked in administration in theatre. This gave Caroline an âinâ to the art world and many, crucial transferrable skills
Itâs important to choose the right MA programme- think about what opportunities they offer for the other side.
Caroline got a full scholarship for her MA with @WallaceMuseum @unibuckinghamp1 but still had to work 2-3 days to survive in London. Her programme had a built-in research placement and worked at Strawberry Hill doing provenance research on objects in Horace Walpoleâs collection.
The led to an assistant curator job for a private collection which needed specific provenance research skills and experience. She also admits that she was in the right place at the right time.
Eventually promoted to curator, Caroline had a range of responsibilities, wrote two books, made acquisitions and developed a loan exhibition in Kazakstan! Small organisations will often offer you a lot more experience in different tasks and roles that bigger institutions.
After two years, Caroline left to pursue her PhD (in 2015) â it was a risk, but she found the right supervisor and had a solid proposal and the project was fully-funded by the @ahrcpress
Caroline immersed herself in the PhD, and spoke at conference, did fellowships, took on graduate teaching, and joined committees and societies to get experience in areas like project management and writing grant applications. These also helped create important support spaces
Phds are HARD! If you decide to pursue one, find a mentor that will support you. In the future, pay it back and return the generosity to the next generation
Caroline speaks frankly about the realities of low-salaries and short-term contracts â they were never enough and she has always done private tutoring for 11+ GCSE students alongside other roles to financially survive.
Carolineâs top tips: Try lots of things, then work hard and do it well, get noticed. Learn that it is ok to say no - burn out is real and you should try to avoid it. Prioritise what you can say yes to.
Join and attend specialist object or subject societies that you are interested in. They are happy to see students and younger people at their events. Also, they often have funding to help you pay for memberships, research projects, and conference attendance
Networking is crucial! Putting yourself out there and engaging with people it not always easy but it gets easier. Sometimes (especially for introverts) social media is a good way to connect with people â it can be easier to develop relationships digitally before meeting in person
Join a union when you can! Keep current, ask questions, reach out to people. Build a close knit group of peers who will help lift you up â they will keep you sane!
@CarolineMcCaff closes with a call-to-arms: âWe are the generation that is going to change art history, that will diversify the art world and will reframe the hierarchies and the patriarchies that are embedded within it. We must inspire each other and lift each other up"
