Freelance and consultant membership
Our special membership grade tailored for people who work for themselves, with lots of great benefits
Freelancers’ Hub
Freelancers and consultants are an essential part of the museum sector’s ecosystem – contributing their expertise and specialist skills, fresh perspective and support around skills development to museums big and small.
We celebrate people who work for themselves during our annual Freelancers’ Week, but we’re here to support you all year round. On this page we’ve compiled useful resources for you and your career – whether you’ve been freelancing for years or are just getting started.
Watch | Go Your Own Way: Successful Freelancing in Museums
Watch a recording of this essential event to support your freelance or consultancy journey
Tools of the trade: resources for freelancers
Recommendations made by freelancers for freelancers
Guide to working with freelancers
Share this guide when working with organisations
Entering the sector
Getting your museum career off to a flying start
Workforce wellbeing
Supporting and advocating for your wellbeing in the museum sector
The tipping point: handling burnout
What burnout means, how to get help and how to foster a positive working culture
Museums Journal content
Hints and tips for starting out as a freelancer
How can museums support freelancers?
Vox pop: How to thrive as a freelancer
As part of our work, over the last few years we’ve spoken to freelancers and consultants who work in different areas of museum practice, and below we’ve shared their insights about what freelancing means for them and what it might mean for you.
Q&A with museum freelancers
2024
Alice Briggs
“Being part-time within a museum institution while working as a consultant has offered me the best of both worlds”
Jessica Agudelo
“Listening, asking questions and communicating non-judgementally really helps understand what a person, team or organisation is trying to achieve”
Mark Macleod
“If you can articulate your 'why' and reason for working, it informs what to apply for and makes writing the pitch a whole lot easier”
Rachel Moss
“It's really important to carve out time to have coffees with peers and look out for free networking events”
Margaret Middleton
“I love the variety and the faster pace of consultancy, and I also value flexibility”
2023
Emma Shepley
“Aspects of freelance life are revitalising and conducive to high quality work in a way that daily office life sometimes isn’t”
Jenny Mathiasson
“You have to look after yourself. That's the most important part of the job, not the clients or the work you put on your CV”
Jenny Williams
“I think knowing what your passion and purpose is is key to thriving as a freelancer”
Jessica Starns
“I'm able to work on lots of interesting projects and have a varied working week”
Karl Mercer
“Having an interest in multiple topics and angles is vital, and those multiple perspectives are a huge benefit to museums”
2022
Emma King
“Working freelance requires a very different mindset to working as an employee”
Matt White
“Social media is full of people saying they've made lots of money in their first year. Do not believe a word of it!”
Claire Adler
“I would never have had such a broad expanse of opportunities if I had worked in a museum”
2021
Lyndsey Clark
Lyndsey is a freelance museum and heritage consultant who supports organisations to develop creative projects for diverse audiences
Eric Langham
Eric founded Barker Langham in 2005 and has led the company’s evolution into one of the world’s leading cultural practices
Colin Mulberg
Colin is a freelance consultant specialising in improving the visitor experience for museums, galleries and historic properties and sites