The Keats Shelley House, 26 Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Italy
The Keats-Shelley House is situated in the historic heart of Rome on the Spanish
Steps. It is the place where John Keats died in 1821 having come to Italy with his
friend the painter Joseph Severn to seek a cure for tuberculosis. Since 1905 it has
been a museum dedicated to the work and lives of the English Romantic poets;
particularly John Keats, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley his wife Mary Shelley
and their circles. It holds one of the world’s most comprehensive libraries on
Romantic literature and poetry and a unique collection of paintings, letters and
manuscripts and objects with a connection to the poets and their lives in Italy.
Over 25,000 people visit the Museum annually and it has become a place of
pilgrimage for lovers of the English Romantics from many parts of the world. Both
Italian and International schools visit the museum on a regular basis and an annual
poetry competition is in place to encourage learning and participation by Englishspeaking and Italian schools. Researchers and scholars are also encouraged to use
the Library.
The building which houses the Keats-Shelley Museum spans four floors and a
basement and incorporated within it there is an apartment currently leased to the
Landmark Trust and a shop occupied by a fashion retailer. There is also a onebedroom apartment available for the use of the Curator of the Museum. The entire
building is owned by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association which is a registered
British charity administered by a board of UK Trustees, who have ultimate
responsibility for its financial and legal governance.
The operating costs of the House are met from museum entries, supplemented by
rental income. There is in place a modest budget for Museum acquisitions and
cultural outreach projects. Recently, it has undergone a capital project financed by a
fund-raising “Centenary Appeal” in the UK, to create a dedicated shop, exhibition
and IT area as well as an audio tour and new toilet and storage facilities. The
building programme is due to continue with further work on the existing terrace
overlooking the Spanish Steps. The first eight months of operation have resulted in
increased revenue and the new Curator will take these improvements forward and
ensure that the positive trend is sustained.
The Keats-Shelley House holds a prominent position in the cultural life of Rome and
has close links with The British Council, British and American Embassies, The British
School at Rome and The American Academy and representatives from these
organisations form part of the governing body in Italy. There is also a long-standing
connection with Keats House, Hampstead, and a sister Association in the United
States with close links to the House. The Museum Trustees have responsibility for
the upkeep of 6 graves in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome including those of Keats,
Shelley and Joseph Severn and the current post-holder is an ex-officio member of
the Cemetery Committee.
For over a decade the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association has run a poetry and essay
competition in the UK which has become recognised as a major literary event, raising
the profile of both the Museum and the Association while providing an important
link to contemporary poets, writers and critics.
The Sheila Birkenhead Award is administered by the Keats-Shelley Memorial
Association; it encourages students of the Romantics to apply for funding towards
attending literary conferences in the UK.
The KSMA also sponsors an event at one of Britain’s foremost literary festivals each
year. An academic journal, the Keats-Shelley Review, is published bi-annually and
includes an annual report by the Curator, who also contributes other essays and
reviews as appropriate.
CURATOR KEATS-SHELLEY HOUSE
JOB SPECIFICATION
The Trustees of the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association are seeking a dedicated and
experienced museum professional to be responsible for the historic building and its
collection and library. This comprises library, archive and documentation
management, including digital sources, with a remit to promote the Museum both as
a visitor resource and as a centre for research. It also embraces conservation and
management of a listed heritage site, including building security, protection of the
collection, management of contractors and legal compliances.
The successful candidate will manage a small team of staff including an Assistant
Curator, Shop Manager and front of house staff. He or she will also be expected to
manage and train interns mainly from American and British universities.
The Curator has sole executive responsibility for revenue generation, fund-raising in
Italy, visitor development with use of new media, and development of retail
opportunities. Maintaining visitor numbers and earned income is essential. The
Curator is expected actively to pursue sponsorship and local funding opportunities,
eg for small grants available ad hoc from the Rome Commune, since the Museum as
an overseas British museum receives no public funding from the UK. The Curator
also assists the UK Committee of Trustees with UK and US fund-raising. This area of
responsibility includes public relations, representation and relationships with local
funding bodies, as well as with the Keats-Shelley Association of America.
There is also responsibility, working with both the UK and Rome Committees, for
medium and long-term strategic planning and implementation. Working with the
Rome Treasurer, the Curator will be responsible for preparing annual budgets and
cash-flow forecasts as well as quarterly statements of income and expenditure and
liquidity.
The Curator, working with the Museums Acquisitions Committee, identifies suitable
additions to the collections, and, ensuring that funds are available, buys both
privately and at auction.
The post-holder will liaise closely with other museums, galleries, libraries, cultural
institutions and local government bodies in Italy, the UK, North America and further
afield to deliver a programme of temporary exhibitions and outreach and cultural
activities. Part of the long-standing programme of outreach is an annual children’s
poetry competition, promoted in Italian schools, and judged by a British poet.
Imaginative proposals for further outreach events will be welcomed.
The Curator will be required to set up and attend quarterly meetings of the Rome
Committee and to attend at least two of the quarterly meetings of the UK-based
Trustees of the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association; he or she will provide reports to
these bodies. There will also occasionally be a requirement to attend events and
cultural activities in the UK. The Curator is also expected to be present at meetings of
the committee governing the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. There is a requirement
to provide a channel of communication to local political and cultural organisations
such as the Commune di Roma.
At times it will be necessary to communicate with the regional manager of the
Landmark Trust responsible for the apartment housed in the building. It will also be
necessary at times to deal with the tenants of the ground floor shop, eg regarding
negotiation of the lease or other issues, acting in conjunction with appropriate
members of the Rome Committee.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
The successful applicant will hold a degree in a relevant humanities subject, a broad
and thorough knowledge of English literature, and a recognised museum or
conservation qualification. He/she will also have a working knowledge of Italian and
be committed if necessary to attain fluency within a short space of time, also to have
a reasonable level of computer proficiency and some knowledge of budgets and
financial management.
He or she will have experience of working in a museum, gallery or historic house and
will be required to lead a small team demonstrating effective management and
people skills. He or she will be accustomed to be working in an environment where
customer satisfaction is of pre-eminent importance. The successful candidate will
command excellent spoken and written communication skills, including confidence
in public speaking, in order to represent and promote the Museum in a variety of
situations.
Experience of researching and delivering temporary exhibitions and working with
other museums and related professional organisations is desirable.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE POSITION
The Curatorship of the Keats-Shelley Museum is a full-time senior position
commanding an attractive salary and benefits package
It includes:
A salary of £40,000 - £45,000 plus annual pension contributions of 11%
A one-bedroom apartment within the House
Annual holiday entitlement of 25 working days, in addition to Italian public holidays
when the House is closed
Expenses to attend committee meetings in the UK and occasional cultural events are
also provided.
Please forward applications with a covering letter and the names, telephone
numbers and email addresses of two referees to:
Deborah James at debbie.beaufort@hotmail.co.uk 7 Beaufort West, Grosvenor, Bath
BA1 6QB
and
Harriet Cullen, Chairman, Keats-Shelley Memorial Association, at
harrietcullenuk@yahoo.com
117 Cheyne Walk, London S10 OES
Email applications are acceptable
Closing date for applications Friday 29 July 2011
www.keats-shelley.co.uk
www.keats-shelleyhouse.org