Curriculum vitae

Anne Elizabeth Pearson

17. Bury Road
Hengrave
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP28 6LS

Telephone: 01284 762335
E-mail: anne@pearsonconsulting.co.uk

Member of HLF National Directory of Expert Advisers – Access and Learning. Independent museum education consultant with experience in full time museum education posts in London and New York. Author of books on arts education for adults and histories of the ancient and medieval world for children.

Recently engaged in evaluation, learning and access projects for the National Trust, the British Museum, Bury St. Edmunds Museums and the Durham Light Infantry Museum.

Presently also writer for British Museum Timelines website.

Employment from April 2000

Education programming for new British Waterways interpretation centre in Staffordshire.

Teaching commitments e.g. Victoria & Albert Museum, Christie’s Education, Sadler’s Wells.

One of team of consultants employed by the Campaign for Learning in Museums and Galleries and the Cultural Heritage National Training Organisation.

Consultant for Southwark Borough Council, Museums and Heritage department, advising on education and outreach.

Worcester Museums - developing education services.

DCMS/Resource-generated museum and library evaluation of learning project in Yorkshire.

October 1999 – April 2000

South Bank University, 103. Borough Road, London SE1 0AA.
Administrative officer in Department of Academic Affairs/Student Advisory Services.

January 1995 – June 1999

Museum Educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028.

• Lecturing for adult programs, teaching schoolchildren and writing educational resources.
• Training and managing volunteers.
• Working with Heads of Departments to widen educational access especially to multicultural audiences and visitors with disabilities.
• Collaboration with social service agencies and community arts organizations in New York City.

October 1970 – January 1995

The Education Department of the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1 3DG.

• Lectured on Classical and Medieval Art and Archaeology to adults, college students and schoolchildren.
• Wrote a variety of publications for teachers (books, slide presentations, videos, booklets etc.)
• Extensive public relations responsibility and conference organization and participation.
• Management experience included coordinating the Museum’s Public Events Calendar of lectures and films necessitating cooperation with designers, curators, lecturers and printers.
• Fundraising for projects. Example – the setting up at the Museum of a part-time secondment of a special education classroom teacher. I worked closely with this teacher in the research and publication of a book linking the use of the Museum’s collections with the National Curriculum.
• Initiated and managed two temporary exhibitions held at the British Museum. Ancient sculpture, (Egyptian and Roman), available for touch by sighted and visually impaired visitors.

1983-1986 Secondment from the British Museum to the Attenborough Committee

This Committee published The Attenborough Report, a National Report on the Arts and Disabled People in 1985. In conjunction with architect, Stephen Thorpe, wrote the companion publication, "Arts for Everyone: Guidance on Provision for Disabled People".

• Administrator of the Carnegie Council which promoted the Attenborough Report. This combined a high profile advocacy role with giving presentations at professional conferences as well as arranging and attending meetings with Government ministers on arts and disability issues.
• With others formed MAGDA, The Museums and Galleries Disability Association. Became first secretary of this specialist group of the Museums Association. MAGDA continues to campaign, hold seminars and publish articles on museum access issues.

International Experience

1995 – 1999 Full-time post in the Education Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

1985 – 1992 Frequently employed as guest lecturer on archaeological tours of Greece and Italy.

1989. -Three-week study tour of museums in New York, Washington and Boston.

1998 – Lecture tour of art galleries in Japan

Conference Presentations

• Council of Europe, Seville, Spain, 1987
• The Fondation de France, Paris, 1988
• European Blind Union, Glasgow, Scotland, 1990
• Bristol University, 1991
• The Museums Association, London, 1993
• Group for Education in Museums, Oxford, 1993
• The Museums Association, Harrogate, Yorkshire,1996
• The Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, 1996
• Three lectures at art galleries in Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan, 1997
• The National Museum, Stockholm, 1998
• The Museums Association, Jersey, 2000
• Group for Education in Museums, Liverpool 2001
• Campaign for Learning, London, 2001
• Ankara University, Turkey, 2002

Publications for adults

Arts for Everyone: Guidance manual for access for disabled visitors published by The Carnegie UK Trust
The Big Foot: Children with Learning Difficulties using Museums published by British Museum Publications 1995
Edited and wrote introduction to Sharing the Wisdom of Ages, a publication funded by The European Commission and concerning the use of museums by older people. Published by Age Concern in 1995.

A number of articles on aspects of museums and disability (available on request).

Publications for children

Ancient Greece published by Simon and Schuster April 1992
Eyewitness Guide to Ancient Greece published by Dorling Kindersley, October 1992
Daily Life in Ancient Greece published by Franklyn Watts, 1993
Teachers Pack on Ancient Rome, published by Dorling Kindersley, 1995
Everyday Life in Viking Times Reed Publications 1994

Education

BA Hons. Class 11 Division 1 Ancient History and Archaeology
Birmingham University 1965-8
Postgraduate Diploma in Anglo-Saxon Archaeology
Durham University 1968 –1970
Postgraduate courses in Arts Administration at Roehampton College, London and in Art Education at Columbia University, New York.
Certificate in Teaching Basic Skills to Adults, 2000.