Heritage, Arts and Culture

Arts and culture careers focus on creating, sharing, managing and supporting artistic and cultural activities, such as exhibitions, performances, festivals, creative projects and community programmes. Opportunities exist both for people producing creative work and for people working within the organisations that support, display, fund and promote it. These organisations include:

  • public galleries and museums
  • commercial galleries that display and sell artwork
  • auction houses that organise the sale of artworks to buyers
  • arts organisations
  • other businesses connected to the arts

Heritage careers focus on understanding, preserving and sharing the past. This can involve working with collections of objects, artworks, records and other materials held by museums, archives and libraries, as well as historic buildings, archaeological sites and heritage organisations. Roles may include:

  • research
  • curatorial work
  • conservation (the care and preservation of historic objects and materials)
  • education
  • information management
  • working with the public

Heritage professionals may also help people understand the significance of historical objects, places and records. They may help ensure that a diverse range of stories, voices and perspectives are represented and shared through exhibitions, talks, workshops, events and learning activities.

Arts, heritage and cultural organisations offer opportunities for people with a wide range of interests and strengths. While some roles focus on creative work or collections, organisations also need staff to:

  • manage projects
  • deliver events
  • support visitors and audiences
  • raise funding
  • coordinate the day-to-day running of services and organisations
  • provide administrative and business support

This means there are many ways to build a career in the sector, whether you want to work directly with art, culture and heritage or contribute to the organisations that support them.

There is no single route into these sectors. While some careers require specialist qualifications or postgraduate study, others are open to graduates from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. Many areas of the sector are competitive. Gaining practical experience through volunteering, work experience, internships, part-time work, projects or involvement in artistic, cultural and heritage activities can help you explore different career options and develop your understanding of the sector.

The pages below cover different parts of the heritage, arts and culture sectors, from creating original work to supporting arts organisations, working in the commercial art world, and preserving and sharing collections, records and historic places.

Collections and Heritage

  • Museums and galleries Careers involving collections, exhibitions, curatorial work, conservation and working with the public.
  • Libraries and Archives Careers preserving information, records and collections, and helping people access and use them.
  • Heritage and archaeology Careers researching, excavating, protecting and providing public access to historic places, objects, buildings and landscapes

Creating Art

  • Arts and Crafts Careers focused on creating and producing original artistic or craft work, including developing a portfolio, exhibiting, taking commissions, selling work and building a freelance creative practice.
  • Design Careers using creativity, problem-solving and technical skills to design visual communications, digital experiences, products, spaces and exhibitions.

Managing and supporting arts and culture

  • Art Business Careers in commercial galleries, auction houses, art fairs and other organisations that promote, exhibit, sell and manage art.
  • Arts administration Careers supporting exhibitions, performances, festivals and creative projects through planning, events and administration.