Spotlight on Alumni | Andrees

Sean Leatherbury: Tell us about your time at UCD

Edith: I first came to UCD as part of an Erasmus exchange programme, studying mostly in the Department of History, focusing on 19th and 20th century Irish history, which was not available to the same extent at my home university, the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). It was noticeable that at the time the students at UCD were not as international.

In 2002, I chose to do the MA in Arts Management and Cultural Policy as it was a course with an applied focus: I had done a Master’s in Cultural History in Frankfurt (Oder) that was rather theoretical, and the UCD MA programme was more applied, giving a good overview of the Irish cultural sector, how the sector had evolved and the state it was in at the time. This was invaluable as I knew I wanted to stay in Ireland for the foreseeable future, so it was a wonderful way to get to know the sector and the people working in it. People on the course were from all over Ireland and the world, and also had mixed backgrounds in terms of professional and educational experience, which was really useful for different perspectives and creative thinking in our project groups. Some of the best parts of the MA were meeting guest lecturers from different sectors of the arts, going on field trips, learning how to develop a business plan, and the internship, and I found the more philosophical discussions around heritage and the arts inspiring. The MA was built around discussions, and I liked that it was a conversation, not a lecture, and that gave it a sense of exchange, and that the guest speakers were answering questions honestly. There was also an assumption that everyone in the room would go on to actively contribute to the arts sector in creative and meaningful ways, so there was a lot of enthusiasm in the room. 

SL: Tell us about your experiences since leaving UCD

Edith: I knew before I started the MA that I wanted to continue working in the heritage sector or in museums as I had in Berlin previously. So after I graduated from the MA, I worked for more than two years in different heritage sites and museums in Dublin — in the OPW, Dublin Tourism and the GAA Museum — before moving to the National Museum of Ireland—Decorative Arts & History.

My work in the NMI Education & Outreach Department developed from a delivery focus (tours, workshops, conferences) to more project-based work such as outreach programmes and international projects, which ran over longer periods. I can recommend working before pursuing a PhD, as it gives you experience on the ground and informs your research in a much more focused way. However, what I found on the job, especially when working with short deadlines, was that I didn’t have time to delve deeper into one subject, which I wanted to do, so I started my PhD part-time alongside my work at the NMI. I wanted to examine in more depth how we tell stories in museums, who we include or exclude, how the ‘Other’ is constructed or represented, and what narration can achieve in a museum context. During this time, I also lectured in museum studies modules at UCD, which was always very rewarding and an extension of what I was doing in shorter sessions at the museum.

In 2018, I moved to NMI’s Art & Industrial Division as Curator of the Metalwork, Scientific Instruments and Numismatics Collections (Medals, Coins & Banknotes). My focus has shifted from regular engagement with groups to objects and their histories, but my job is still ultimately about people – who made these objects, why do we collect and keep them, what might they mean to future generations? There are a lot of one-to-one encounters with people, for example people who ask about the background of certain objects. This work highlights the meanings we attach to our material culture, and how objects can help us uncover angles and understandings of what came before, and link us to people across geographical distance and time. Cultural studies and museum work are really there to ask questions and provide some sense of direction for us – where have we come from, how are we connected to each other, and what are our tasks here, individually and collectively?

SL: What is the relationship between your work and the study / research you engaged in at the School of Art History and Cultural Policy?

Edith: My work as a curator today is about trying to take the more theoretical and philosophical reflections from my PhD research and apply them in real-life settings—that was always my aim, to take those theories and apply them, see what can we use in a museum setting, and what works and doesn’t work. This has been possible in both my museum roles, in education and in curatorial work. It is important to me to embed my work in a wider debate in order to shape the direction of the cultural sector, and to be in exchange internationally and aware of what is being developed elsewhere. 

At the NMI, I am involved in developing the new permanent exhibition on the 20th-century History of Ireland (c. 1900-2020s), which we are planning to open in 2024. The exhibition will cover the entire third floor of the Museum’s north block. In order to prepare for building works in and around the new galleries, I am managing the transfer of the Scientific Instruments and Coin collections (several thousand objects) to their new locations offsite. I am also continuing to build the collection of contemporary metalwork with new acquisitions. In the future, I hope to run another collaborative project with designer-makers, particularly those who are just starting out, similar to the (opens in a new window)InForm project, which ran with the Design & Crafts Council Ireland from 2019-2021.

SL: If you could offer one piece of advice to current students what would it be?

Edith: I would encourage students to choose a research topic or subject they are drawn to from the bottom of their hearts, and which they are really passionate about – or could imagine getting really passionate about. Don’t just choose it because it is trendy, easier to research, or offers better pay. I would also encourage students to persevere – especially in the cultural sector. Do internships while still studying so you have enough work experience to get a paid job when graduating.