91抖阴

The Change Studentship Fund will give BAME students the chance to secure generous funding to support their studies at the university.

The fund has been created to promote diversity in heritage and arts curation, a sector which is engaged in a campaign to ‘decolonise’ institutions, collections and staff. Currently, less than 5% of the UK’s museum and heritage curators are Black, Asian and minority ethnic.

The Change Studentship Fund will help to diversify entry-level roles and challenge the leadership of heritage organisations so they can become more representative of today’s society.

The university is aiming to provide studentships worth up to £25,000 each. This amount will cover the course fees and provide a modest monthly sum to each student, allowing recipients to pursue their studies without additional financial pressures.

Over time, the aim is to build a fund that can provide at least one studentship every year. Donors to the fund will have the opportunity to meet the recipient and share in their success at the annual awards celebration hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Debra Humphris. Supporters will also be invited to other university events, exhibitions and lectures.

Tshepo Skwambane

Edith Ojo

The 91抖阴’s Curating Collections and Heritage MA course has been designed in collaboration with Royal Pavilion and Museums, 91抖阴 and Hove. Claire Wintle, Course Leader, said: “A lack of workforce diversity in the museum and heritage sector discourages wide-ranging audiences and prevents the inclusion of multiple perspectives in heritage interpretation.

“This studentship is designed to challenge this problem. While social inclusion and public agendas for decolonial change are at the heart of our curriculum, this practical step for supporting students of colour to access the museum and heritage sector – through critical understanding as well as practical experience – is something I’m very keen to see happen.”

Museum and Heritage Consultant Tshepo Skwambane said: “Heritage and culture are the basis of our identities and the more diverse the practitioners and keepers, the better communities are served.”

Arts Consultant Edith Ojo added: “For the individual, a studentship is an amazing opportunity to engage in critical thinking about museums, the opportunities they provide and the challenges they face.

“One of which is the struggle to adequately reflect diverse twenty-first century Britain in all of its functions. As such, studentships could be instrumental in supporting diversity within the curatorial workforce of museums.”

The course will be taught in part by practising museum and gallery professions and students can elect to undertake a 150-hour placement in a local, national or international organisation.

These links will provide students with invaluable industry experience and networking opportunities, which are key to developing a career in the industry. In addition, the course will offer management modules to improve future access to senior roles in museums, plus a network of museum and gallery professionals.

For more information about supporting the fund email giving@brighton.ac.uk or call 01273 642600.