Archivist

Built in 1911, The Electric Palace is one of the world’s oldest and least altered purpose-built cinemas and is one of only five working Grade II* listed cinema buildings in the country. Our heritage has national significance, and the cinema is a popular venue. The Cinema recently reopened (2022) following closure for extensive restoration work funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.
As part of the restoration project, we undertook a scoping survey of our existing archive, which indicates that the collection is currently at risk. We are looking to recruit an Archivist to take a lead role in appraising, undertaking a condition survey, cataloguing, and identifying gaps in the archive. The Archivist will also work with our Education and Community Engagement Officer to help us open the archives up to the wider community and to develop a volunteer plan to manage the archive on a long-term basis. This role will be funded by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Documents within the collection include unique, irreplaceable items such as the original architects’ drawings and interior images from the cinema’s early days. The Archivist will assess and advise on preserving these items.

The recent scoping report also indicates that the collection has the potential to play a unique role in cinema history and offers an opportunity for academic research into the development of volunteer activities.

Archivist specific actions are outlined in more detail in the attached documents and in the associated project plan.