My Time in Arts and Heritage Consultancy – Maisie Young

Maisie Young is a recent graduate of Bristol University who has been working with CultureRunner as a junior associate for the past six months. As Maisie’s time with us was coming to an end, I asked her to write a blog post reflecting on her experience, This is what she had to say

Maisie Young

Working in arts and heritage consultancy has taught me that culture isn’t always preserved behind glass cases or commemorated by grand statues; it’s preserved by PDFs, spreadsheets and the gentle art of convincing someone their project can’t, in fact, be completed in two weeks on a tight budget.

Coming from a history degree, I was surprised by just how much of the sector unfolds online, through platforms I knew only too well. I had pictured cultural spaces as places where things simply just happened. What I didn’t see was the countless hours spent on restructuring business models, redrafting funding applications, workshops, or getting to grips with jargon like ‘place-based working’. The backstage effort may lack the glamour of the marble halls and oak-panelled libraries, but it is also where the heavy lifting begins. It was oddly satisfying to discover that an arts and heritage consultancy isn’t just about protecting the past; it’s also about project-managing the present. 

The real drama perhaps, is Arts Council funding applications and navigating the labyrinth of its stubbornly outdated technology. Sitting there, wrestling with Grantium, I couldn’t help but think that my very ‘practical’, very expensive history degree never once mentioned funding portals.

One of my favourite moments came from assisting a V&A workshop, trying to work out how to restructure their volunteer tour programme. There I was, guest badge clipped to my chest, catching a rare glimpse of a museum I’d only ever marvelled at as a visitor. My manager led the workshop with such ease and eloquence that I found myself quietly in awe, watching her draw out the best ideas in the room. It was also a reminder of the collaborative nature of consultancy. Listening to the volunteers, who freely give their time to share history with diverse communities, highlights to me that heritage doesn’t survive because of the fancy museums or even the archives, but because there are people who care enough to pass it on.

The funding shortfall isn’t a secret. You hear it in workshops, spelled out in the journals and woven into the meetings. Budgets are tight, projects get delayed and yet the sector endures because of the people who refuse to let culture sink. The superheroes of the discipline are those who dedicate decades to keeping museums, libraries and cultural projects alive and relevant. Fundings may be scarce but the people who fight for it, thrive.

My friends and family often ask me what arts and heritage consultancy means. Most of the time, it starts with listening. Hearing what organisations are struggling with, what they dream of doing and what obstacles are in their way. Consultancy is about making those ambitions achievable. It’s not about dictating to organisations, but rather giving them the tools to make things happen.

Ultimately, armed with Zoom calls, emails, and my Wi-Fi signal, I am happy to have played a small part in keeping arts and heritage breathing. I will be endlessly grateful to have worked in a sector that preserves the stories, spaces and ideas that have always inspired me. However, I am even more grateful to Mairead and to CultureRunner for supporting me through it all.