The face of the Armidale Folk Museum Hayley Ward is soon to be Sydney-bound after securing a prestigious mentorship at Sydney Living Museums.
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Hayley received the news this week that her application for the Museums & Galleries NSW Fellowship, Mentorship & Volunteer Placement program had been successful, sharing in $20,000 in funding.
She said she first became interested in history, the arts and culture through her studies.
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“My background is in Fine Arts and Visual Arts but I was always interested in history,” Ms Ward said.
“I’ve always been attracted to cultural activities and like to push local cultural activities as much as I can.
“I’m looking forward to coordinating my mentorship with Sydney Living Museums and bringing some of that expertise back to the Folk Museum,” she said.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall was on hand this week to give Hayley the news.
“It is an incredible honour to receive this scholarship and I congratulate Hayley on being one of only seven museum practitioners around NSW to be selected,” Mr Marshall said.
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Ms Ward will be placed at Sydney Living Museums – a group of 12 Museums which include some of our best known and loved sites including the Hyde Park Barracks, Vaucluse House, the Museum of Sydney and The Mint.
As part of her mentorship, she will learn from industry leaders about current best practice museum management, education and curatorial processes for enhanced creative and quality outcomes.
“Regional museums are vital to preserving an areas unique identity and the Folk Museum in Armidale is no exception,” Mr Marshall said.
“Precious and irreplaceable records and artefacts are held in trust for the community with many artefacts donated from locals.
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“How we can capitalise on this history to make it more accessible to locals and more engaging for tourists is key to our future and I’m delighted that Hayley will have the chance to learn from the best in the business on how to do just that. This not only bolsters her career but provides value to Armidale’s entire historical scene.”
He added that it was fantastic that our smaller museums and galleries continue to receive this investment each year.
“I would encourage other galleries and museums in the Northern Tablelands to apply for mentorship opportunities in the future,” Mr Marshall said.