Job description: In support of the development of the new Royal Alberta Museum, slated to open in downtown Edmonton, the Royal Alberta Museum is seeking to contract content researchers to undertake directed research for the completion of individual displays for the history galleries.
Under the direction of the Interpretive Planners and the Human History Wing Lead, researchers will develop content for object-based exhibits that will tell the story of 20th century life in Alberta.
The RAM intends to assign up to twelve stories to contractors. At this time, the Museum is looking for an expression of interest from potential researchers.
If interested, please download the attached document. All submissions must be sent to Linden Roberts (linden.roberts@gov.ab.ca) by Friday, September 5, 2014.
Background
The Royal Alberta Museum, in Edmonton, Alberta, is undergoing capital redevelopment, with a new facility now under construction. Included in the development is a suite of approximately 30,000 square feet of human history galleries.
In planning the new galleries, the museum has developed an interpretive strategy that is story-based, object-focused and developed around a defined audience strategy. The human history wing of galleries is organized according to the following principles:
• There is a key message to define the overarching narrative for the wing, setting the tone for the wing and defining the elements important in our storytelling.
• Within the wing, the galleries each define a key message and narrative that characterizes and defines the approach to the history covered by that period. Among the characteristics for the galleries are:
o Each gallery will be self-contained. There will be no sense of historical themes that will stretch from one gallery to the next.
o Each gallery will tell a complete story.
Within each gallery, a series of story displays will deliver the gallery message and narrative. These story displays each share the following characteristics:
• They are object focused.
• There is a key message.
• There is a defined target audience for each.
Services Required
The Royal Alberta Museum is looking for qualified researchers to develop 20th century Alberta history stories identified for the galleries. Researchers will be considered for one or more story. The topics are:
• First Nations ranching and rodeo
• Winter sports
• Banking
• Modern farming and ranching
• Labour history
• Equality issues
• Renewable energy
• Medicine and Health
• Railway
• Residential Schools
• Metis culture and history
Specific topics will be identified with the successful candidates, and candidates will be given a topic title, a brief description and our intention for the story.
Researchers will be expected to meet with the Museum’s Interpretive Planners, then prepare the following for each assigned story:
• Key Message (~75 words)
• Final Story description (~1000 words)
• Suggested objects to illustrate the story and key message (~10)
• A description of each object and how it supports the key message (~25 words)
Note: The use of Royal Alberta Museum objects is preferred, so each researcher should allow one full day for a discussion of the museum’s collections with a curator to be assigned to each contracted story.
The work is to be undertaken in the period September through November 2014.
Qualifications
Interested researchers should provide the following information, in no more than three pages and in PDF format:
• Name to be contracted under (either personal or business)
• Contact information
• Relevant academic qualifications
• Relevant work history (with a particular focus on projects)
• Hourly or daily rates for professional services
Information should be sent to:
Linden Roberts
Director of Capital Exhibit Development
Via email at linden.roberts@gov.ab.ca
Next steps
Successful candidates will be contacted to bid on the development of one or more stories.
