National Maritime Museum: Curator of Contemporary Maritime

Through this new post and the convening role developed for the Museum over the 6 years of the project, it aimed to reach and bring together diverse audiences – whether maritime specialists, the media or the general public – to inform, discuss and debate the contemporary maritime world. We also contributed towards a change in the way the role of a curator is perceived within the NMM (and the wider cultural heritage sector), leading to new ways of engaging with the public. As a result, the public benefitted from a greater consciousness and understanding of the interconnectivity of contemporary maritime issues, their impact on the lives of the British people and our relationship to the wider world.

Curator Laura Boon-Williams worked with the Museum team to strategically advance public education and understanding of maritime issues. This  included leading events for World Oceans Day, collecting and digitising merchant navy oral histories, and leading the curatorial strand of the incredibly successful Ice Worlds Festival. Staged in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey to celebrate the maiden voyage of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, the festival welcomed over 30,000 visitors to NMM across three days. The showcase exhibition ‘Exposure: Lives at Sea’ was extended, allowing more visitors to see it in person and to learn about the lives of those working at sea. It has been showcased at several events with representatives from the maritime industries and donors to the Museum including London International Shipping week and the Foundation’s Safer World Conference.