We are currently recruiting for Collections Assistant Volunteers who will be based at Middleport Pottery in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, working with the historic mould collection throughout summer 2015 and beyond.

Volunteers will gain hands on collections care and collections management experience working as part of the exciting wider project led by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust. The work will involve object handling and cataloguing the collection onto an Excel spreadsheet. Basic cleaning and conservation, inventory marking and recording locations. A passion for history and attention to detail would be beneficial. Computer skills and the ability to take digital photographs would also be advantageous. 

Middleport Pottery re-opened in 2014 after an ambitious £8.5 million restoration and regeneration programme, carried out by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust and Burleigh remains on site producing ceramics. The unused buildings have been developed to provide attractive accommodation for workshops, enterprise spaces, craft and community areas, a cafe, a gallery and a heritage visitor centre. 

One of the collections associated with the site are made up of plaster moulds used in the manufacturing process. With a team of volunteers, we are currently half way through documenting, identifying, cataloguing and photographing this vast collection of over 19000 units.

Please get in touch if you want more information: su.volunteering@keele.ac.uk