Ruth B Kerr
engagement - interpretation - learning
#freelance #portfoliocareer #manyhats
Examples of my work
I wear many hats, but all my work comes down to people.
Engagement
Social Media Management - Pear Tree 400
freelance
Pear Tree Church, Southampton is the World's oldest Anglican church. In the lead up to their 400th Anniversary they looked to social media to engage with the wider community and build interest and momentum. I created their Facebook Page and managed their existing X/Twitter account, posting regularly for 11 months.
Their Fb page grew at a rate of c25 Followers per month. I increased their X following by 70%.
Trail & Trail Sheet - The Weaver Fairy Folk of Whitchurch Silk Mill
freelance
Whitchurch Silk Mill came to me with an idea for a permanent outdoor trail. I developed their concept, creating characters and biographies. I commissioned slate doors and added bespoke icons linked to each character, painted in colours from the Mill's brand palette. The design of the leaflet reflects other permanent trails at the Mill.
The Memory Lounge -
Milestones, Hampshire Cultural Trust
freelance
The Memory Lounge is a 1960s roomset, created primarily for immersive reminiscence with older people.
I developed and piloted a programme of 8 reminiscence sessions and accompanying craft activities, working with a local care home. Volunteers received a day of training as well as ongoing involvement in pilot sessions and mentoring. I also supported the programme team to source relevant artefacts for display and handling.
Learning
Discovery learning for schools & young people
freelance
As an employee, I developed many programmes across a wide variety of sites. Working freelance, I've developed local history programmes and town trails for schools, archaeology-based STEM programmes and been consulted on content for new museum programmes.
Milestones' Audioguides for Schools
employee
I was the lead heritage professional working with Acoustiguide Ltd. to produce content for the first KS1 and 2 audioguides supporting the National Curriculum. The audioguides won an Interpret Britain Award. Milestones living history museum in Basingstoke is Hampshire Cultural Trust's flagship museum.
Farm Discovery Co-ordinator - The Country Trust
freelance
I plan and deliver visits to working farms for disadvantaged school children in Hampshire. The visits are tailored to support understanding of food production and farming.
Activity Sheet Toolkit for Hampshire County Farms
freelance
Hampshire County Council Farms were looking at ways to support their tenant farmers in engaging with their communities. I created a suite of support for them, including a toolkit on activity sheets for events like Open Farm Sunday.
Other resources produced were an evaluation toolkit for public events on farms, a talk for groups, and content for an exhibition about Hampshire County Farms.
Engagement Framework and session plans -
NGO Educational Trust
freelance
As well as co-ordinating work for the NGO Educational Trust, I help to plan the content of work with schools and with the general public.
The Engagement Framework is a plan which helps freelance educators at events for the general public. It plans the learning outcomes relevant to the geographical region the event is held in, supporting eduators to have meaningful engagement with visitors.
Interpretation
Interpretive Text -
Licoricia of Winchester
freelance
Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT) supported the Licoricia Trust's campaign for a statue to this medieval community leader. HCT commissioned me to produce interpretive text for the temporary exhibition which initially accompanied the new statue.
Initial Text Edit -
A Different View: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel
freelance
Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT) hosted the UK premiere of this exhibition in The Gallery at The Arc, Winchester, and The Great Hall. The exhibitions team commissioned me to support their work in producing interpretive text for short panels from an audioguide transcript.
Text & Design - Welsh Guards Collection
freelance
The Welsh Guards Collection asked me to produce a new permanent panel for each section of their museum. Liaising with the curator, I wrote and designed 10 panels.
Interpretive Text, Curation, Labels, Images, Flipbooks, Interactives -
Eling Tide Mill Experience
part freelance, part employee
Eling Tide Mill and a nearby Heritage Centre closed for 3 years to deliver a Lottery Fund project, turning the Heritage Centre into a Visitor Centre with an activity room and new display about the Mill.
I researched and wrote all interpretive text for both buildings. I also curated all displays and wrote the object labels, as well as writing all flipbooks and producing the content for the 3 digital displays in the Visitor Centre. I sourced all images used in both buildings, including commissioning photography, illustration and technical drawings.
Bespoke interactives were produced by a specialist company who I liaised with; I wrote all instructional text for the interactives and also planned the low-tech interactives.
Visit England assessed the site's interpretation as 'excellent'.
