Volunteer and placements

APAC’s Institutional Members may offer voluntary work placements or paid traineeships. This page lists some current opportunities.  

Traineeships

National Theatre Archive, London

The NT Archive offers one paid traineeship, the Archive Assistant role, annually in September. This post is for a trainee who intends to pursue a career in archives administration or records management.

  • The post is advertised on the NT website and on the ARCHIVES-NRA list on www.jiscmail.ac.uk.
  • Location: NT Archive, NT Studio, 83-101 The Cut, SE1 8LL (note: not main NT site, but close by)
  • Contact: Erin Lee, Head of Archive, archive@nationaltheatre.org.uk
  • When contacting the archive, please mention that you saw the announcement on the APAC website.

Voluntary Work Placements

National Theatre Archive, London

The NT Archive operates a rolling scheme offering voluntary, unpaid work experience placements. We like to offer work experience candidates a variety of work so that they gain an understanding of archives, the archive profession and the operations of the National Theatre.

  • Work experience placements are expected to be able to work well both independently and as part of the Archive team. Candidates are either set an individual task so that they can have a sense of ownership and fulfilment in completing a task, or they are involved in ongoing projects within the department. Tasks may include but not be limited to listing, cataloguing using our archival software system CALM, conducting research, de-accessioning, and repackaging.
  • Duration of placement: either 2 weeks full time or a couple of days a week for several weeks
  • Location: NT Archive, NT Studio, 83-101 The Cut, SE1 8LL (note: not main NT site)
  • Reimbursement: Daily lunch and travel expenses can be reimbursed on production of receipts
  • Contact: Erin Lee, Head of Archive, archive@nationaltheatre.org.uk
  • When contacting the archive, please mention that you saw the announcement on the APAC website.

The Royal Opera House Collections

The Royal Opera House Collections offers a rolling programme of work experience placements. The placements are designed to offer a taste of working in archives and the heritage sector, no prior experience is required.

  • Candidates will have the opportunity to be involved in helping with ongoing projects to preserve and catalogue the historic collections of the Royal Opera House. You may be asked to handle and repackage archival material and create data for the Collections catalogue or Performance Database.
  • Duration of placement: the placements run for two weeks full time.
  • Location: The Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD 
  • Reimbursement: the placements are unpaid, but the Collections will reimburse the cost of a Travel Card within London for Zones 1 + 2 (or alternative travel up to the same value) per week of work experience upon proof of purchase. Placement holders are entitled to lunch vouchers which can be redeemed in the staff restaurant or café in Covent Garden.
  • Contact: apply via the Royal Opera House Work Experience Programme.
  • When contacting the Collections, please mention that you saw the announcement on the APAC website

Shakespeare’s Globe Library & Archive

Shakespeare’s Globe is looking for volunteers to assist in preserving and caring for the collections of the Library & Archive. Volunteers benefit from learning a range of skills and can gain an understanding of library and archive work.

  • The types of tasks volunteers in the Library & Archive carry out include: repackaging archives into preservation materials; re-shelving books; basic listing of collections; quality control of digital material; electronic file renaming, reformatting and saving; scanning; boxing items
  • Duration of placement: volunteering opportunities take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays, vary in duration and are flexible
  • Location: Library & Archive, Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, London, SE1 9DT
  • Reimbursement: travel expenses can be paid within London, up to Zone 4
  • Contact: library@shakespearesglobe.com
  • When contacting the Library & Archive, please mention that you saw the announcement on the APAC website.

Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Theatre and Performance, London

The V&A holds the UK’s National Collection for the Performing Arts documenting current practice and the history of all areas of the performing arts, including dance, drama, opera, circus, puppetry, comedy, musical theatre, popular music, pantomime, set design and more. The collection is very diverse and candidates approach us for many reasons, but particularly when considering a career in archive, library or museum studies and seeking relevant pre-course experience.

  • Work placements are expected to work well both independently and as part of the curatorial team. Candidates are generally given an individual task along with involvement in ongoing departmental projects. Tasks are varied and may include listing, cataloguing, sorting and filing programmes, rehousing or digitisation.
  • Please note, that this is a voluntary and unpaid placememt.
  • Duration of placement: generally 20 working days either part-time or full-time
  • Location: V&A Blythe House, 23 Blythe Road, W14 0QX London (please note that it is not at the V&A South Kensington)
  • Contact: Sabrina Offord, Archivist and Conservation Manager, Department of Theatre and Performance tmenquiries@vam.ac.uk
  • When contacting the archive, please mention that you saw the announcement on the APAC website.