Originally posted on 28 June 2016 #LMGBlogArchive #LMGBlogArchiveProject by Carrie Svinning
Dhikshana Turakhia Pering, Learning Officer for the Young People’s Skills Programme at the London Transport Museum, answers our questions about her career and relationship to the museum sector.
Describe your career path
My career in the sector started in 2006 during my Art History and History degree at the University of Aberdeen, volunteering and interning at the Wallace Collection, British Museum and Naval Historical Centre in Washington D.C. I then completed a MA in Museum and Gallery Education at the UCL Institute of Education. At the Science Museum I had a number of roles: Explainer, Schools and Communities Outreach Officer. Moving onto managerial roles overseeing the Explainer Team and National and International Outreach team.
Currently I manage the young people’s programmes at the London Transport Museum for 16-25s. I know that I have been lucky to work in this sector to build skills such as delivering, developing, managing and leading learning teams to success. Focused on diversifying our sector with the skills I have gained, going beyond making collections accessible, but making this sector accessible through leading on diverse and unique roots in.
What have the next 12 months got in store for you
We are heading into the second year of our Arts Council England (ACE) funding for our Apprenterships, Young Freelancers and Young Volunteer Projects. We have just recruited 3 new Apprentices across our Learning team, and have two Apprentices coming to an end of their year so supporting them to plan for the next steps. The first year of our Young Freelancer programme went well and we are now planning on recruiting four new Young Freelancers to start with us in August. Alongside this we will be running 3 Young Volunteer projects ranging for supporting the museum to redevelop its wayfinding, developing family activities and a project yet to be decided with close links to our curatorial department.
What Museum (other than the one you might work for) would you like to be locked in overnight
I have been locked in overnight at the Science Museum for a sleepover firstly aged 10 when I went as a visitor, and then again over 10 years later when I worked on the sleep over program at the Science Museum. Now I would like to be locked in at the Tenement Museum in New York – a lovely museum charting the history of Jewish immigrants and their dwellings in New Your City in the 19th century.
What’s the most encouraging thing a visitor/user has ever said to you
I didn’t think a museum was for me, but I will come back again.
If you could highlight one Museum Object, either in your own museum or elsewhere, what would it be
A statue of R.J. Mitchell at the Science Museum made of 40,000 pieces of Welsh Slate. It is a beautiful piece of art to remember a very important man in regards to aviation.
What would you have been if you hadn’t been a Learning Officer in Museums
I went through them all Doctor, Lawyer, Graphic Designer. Looking back now I think Graphic Designer would have been my final choice.