Charles Howard-Bury (1883-1963) lived an eventful life that included military service and a career in politics. Howard-Bury travelled extensively and in 1921 he led the Royal Geographic Society expedition to Mount Everest. This was the first expedition to Everest and represented a major international achievement. As a result of the expedition a detailed map of the area was produced, the geology, flora and fauna of the area were studied and identified. In 1922 Howard-Bury published an account of the expedition.
Having inherited Belvedere House and estate in 1912, Howard-Bury spent many years of his life in Westmeath. Belvedere House, Gardens and Park is now owned by Westmeath County Council and open to visitors. The Council also holds part of the Howard-Bury archive, which includes several photographs believed to be from the Everest expedition.
In 2020, Westmeath County Council, with assistance from the July Jobs Stimulus Package from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, engaged an archivist, who reviewed the Howard-Bury Collection and prepared recommendations on material suitable for exhibition content and media outputs.
Westmeath County Council wish to recruit a coordinator, who will build on the work and recommendations of the archivist to develop a virtual exhibition and other media outputs, including short film clips, to raise awareness of the role of Howard-Bury in the Everest expedition and to celebrate the legacy of the momentous undertaking. The delivery of the programme should be inclusive, appropriate and sensitive and should utilise technology to ensure that the Decade of Centenaries can be commemorated safely in line with restrictions around COVID-19.
The Digital Coordinator will work over a 5-month period (c.15hrs per week) from May to September inclusive. There is a grant of €5,000 (to include all project costs, travel, etc.), to be paid in monthly instalments. A budget of €5,000 is assigned to the project to facilitate the production of a virtual exhibition and other outputs such as, film production, speakers’ fees, digitising of archive material etc. The details of such expenditure must be agreed in advance with the Project Steering Group, (which may include the Heritage Officer, staff from Westmeath Library and Archives and/or other representatives of the Culture Team) or their representative, from Westmeath County Council.
This project will be subject to withholding tax. A current tax-clearance certificate will be required. The successful applicant will be required to hold their own insurance cover, including Professional Indemnity.
This project to commemorate the first Everest expedition falls under the following themes of the Decade of Centenaries:
• Significant developments in the world of innovation, industry and commerce, science, health, agriculture, and communications, (1919–1923).
• 'Ireland and the Wider World'
• Archives – the Howard-Bury collection held by Westmeath County Council
The role of the coordinator is to develop digital outputs, informed by the work of the Project Archivist, to mark the centenary of the first Everest expedition led by Howard-Bury and to celebrate the legacy of the expedition in the most appropriate fashion. The aim is to create an exhibition, film clips and/or other appropriate outputs which can be accessed online.
• Build on the work and recommendations of the project archivist in 2020 to develop meaningful output. Summary outputs and recommendations of the Archivist are available on request from heritage@westmeathcoco.ie
• Explore opportunities to liaise other organizations such as The Royal Geographic Society and Mountaineering Ireland for on-line events and discussion around the centenary of the Everest Expedition.
• Explore opportunities to liaise with other holders of material related to Howard-Bury and the Everest Expedition.
• Utilise technology to ensure that the centenary can be commemorated safely in line with restrictions around COVID-19.
• Output should include an exhibition, which may be solely or partly on-line, film clips and other media outputs to showcase the achievements of the Everest Expedition, commemorate the man who led the expedition and celebrate his Westmeath links. The successful candidate will be responsible for creating and curating the exhibition i.e. selecting images and creating accompanying text and/or video, to develop an exhibition that is informative and engaging.
• Work with a filmographer to produce a series of at least three short film clips of interesting content that is relevant and engaging for local communities of all ages. These film clips should be suitable for sharing on Westmeath County Council social media platforms and may form part of the virtual exhibition.
• The successful applicant will liaise with the project steering group to develop digital outputs that address the above project aims. Note: the content of the exhibition and other outputs such as film clips should be agreed in advance with the Project steering group.
• The successful applicant will liaise with the Westmeath Historian in Residence and, where relevant, the Creative Practitioner in Residence to ensure historical accuracy and complimentary programming.
• Work will commence in May 2021 and the creation of content for film clips and the exhibition should be completed by the end of September 2021.
Westmeath County Council shall retain the right to publish material generated as part of the programme without additional remuneration or permission and will acknowledge the author/creator of same. All digital outputs generated as part of this project will be considered the property of the Westmeath County Council.
• Proficiency in the use of social media and digital technologies
• Experience in some or all of the following: digital curation, coordinating digital exhibitions, hosting meetings/webinars on zoom or similar platforms
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organisational and/or project management skills
• The successful candidate will demonstrate ability to deliver and coordinate the project by means of prior experience and/or proven track record
• In order to coordinate/facilitate filming on location or digital capture of material, there may be a requirement, on occasion, to go to Belvedere House, the Howard Bury Archive (in the Library in Mullingar), and other Westmeath locations (any such visits must be in line with Covid-19 Regulations)
The successful applicant will report as necessary, to the Project Steering Group, who will review progress of the project and approve associated budget spend.
The successful candidate will use his/her own equipment including his/her own laptop and will work remotely in line with Covid-19 Regulations.
Applications should be made by sending the above information as ONE single attachment (either in PDF or Word format) incorporating all of the below required information:
• Professional qualifications/ Prior Learnings and skills, including digital skills and project management, which would be brought to bear on the project, to be supported by CV, including the names and contact details of two professional references.
• Written submission of interest which outlines approaches to the role of digital coordinator (700 words maximum). Please include examples of previous similar and relevant work in the area of preparing and/or curating on-line content for exhibition/s and/or promotional purposes and/or creating outputs such as film and audio files for online audiences. A creative and innovative approach to the delivery of the project is welcome.
Please send completed application and a current CV marked ‘Digital Coordinator Centenary of Everest Expedition’ by email to: heritage@westmeathcoco.ie
The deadline for completed applications is 5pm on Fri 23rd April 2021.
Any queries should be addressed to: heritage@westmeathcoco.ie
Applications will be assessed under the following criteria:
| Criterion | Mark |
|---|---|
| Qualifications/Recognised Prior Learning. | 10 Marks |
| Experience/proven track record in project management and coordinating exhibitions and/or comparable projects and capacity to deliver the programme within the required timeframe. | 40 Marks |
| Demonstrate proficiency in the use of digital technologies, social media and in developing on-line content. | 40 Marks |
| Demonstrate familiarity with and interest in the subject matter. | 10 Marks |
| Total: | 100 Marks |
Westmeath County Council reserves the right to shortlist candidates and interviews may be held with selected candidates prior to the final evaluation.
Content Last Updated/Reviewed: 06/04/2021
