Bournemouth University

School of Conservation Sciences

Panel members

Image copyright of Ron Davies

Biography: Yvette Staelens
Programme Leader for the internationally renowned MA Museum Studies, Yvette also works as a part-time senior lecturer in museums and heritage drawing on 19 years experience in the museums and heritage sector. This includes 12 years at senior management level, three years of which dealt with managing award-winning Scunthorpe Museums, a multi-venue service incorporating historic Scunthorpe Museum (founded in 1909), Normanby Hall (an historic house in parkland), regional collections, Normanby Park Farming Museum and allied outreach services. Her last post was as Deputy Director for the Area Museums Council for the South West (AMCSW) where she specialised in museum development and exhibitions.

Yvette is the recipient of the AMSSEE bursary to study the museums of the Channel Islands and a Royal Geographical Society grant to study museums in Zanzibar.

Her major project management includes ‘The Barbarians’ touring exhibition funded by the Museums and Galleries Commission, Girls Rock ON! Young Women’s Band Project for the Chard Foundation for Women in Music, and collaboration on the joint AMCs UK-wide touring exhibition programme.

Yvette’s current research focuses upon English folk song source singers and collectors in the West of England and initial KT output includes ‘The Somerset Folk Map’ for Somerset County Council.

Biography: Professor Mark Brisbane
Having first worked on an excavation in 1971 at the age of 18, I have been involved with archaeology ever since. Major research interests include the origin and development of urban sites in the Post-Roman period throughout NW Europe and the role of trade and exchange in this process. Collaboration with Russian and other European colleagues on this topic over the last 12 years has involved large, multi-disciplinary projects funded by INTAS (a European funding body) studying the development of urban sites in NW Russia, notably Novgorod but also other sites in the Baltic and Eastern Europe. As part of this collaboration I am currently the Series Editor for a four-volume set of books examining various issues connected to Novgorod and its material culture.

Another area of interest is the way that archaeology and other collections are displayed and interpreted in museums. How do we know if an exhibition interests and stimulates the public? I am currently supervising both undergraduates and postgraduates who are researching this new and exciting topic.

Biography: Tessa Bancroft

I am currently an MA Museum Studies student at Bournemouth University, at the moment I am doing a placement at Dorset County Museum in Dorchester. I have a degree in Classical Civilisation from Nottingham University. I am very interested in Classical Greece, especially the art, myth and literature. I have had work experience at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which I greatly enjoyed. My ambition is to have career in the museum world where my passion and enthusiasm will be utilised.

Biography: Yvonne Hellin Hobbs

I am studying for an MA in Museum Studies at Bournemouth having achieved a BA Hons. in Humanities and an MA in History through the Open University. I am a mature student with 25 years experience in the film and television industries, working mostly with costumes. During my career I have also run my own retail business, worked in interior design and been a writer for homes and interiors magazines.

I have always been interested in exhibition design and decided to make a career move into the world of museums. I am currently employed by Bath and NE Somerset Heritage Services as Exhibition Officer organising the ‘Story of the Supremes’ exhibition at the Assembly Rooms Ballroom in Bath which runs from July 25th to August 31st, a part time post whilst I am completing my Dissertation, the subject of which is concerning Museums and the Web.