Olivia Warren

(+44)7740 594 368 | o.s.warren@outlook.com

Profile

Hello! I'm Olivia, a gallery worker and creative practitioner with a passion for web technologies that broaden engagement with the liberating power of access to culture in its myriad forms.
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After completing an MPhil in Criticism and Culture in 2019, I’ve brought my analytical skills and enthusiastic knowledge of the arts to a variety of roles. During April of last year I re-skilled while furloughed, with the help of a scholarship from the SuperHi creative education platform, and left my visitor services role at the Fitzwilliam Museum to move into their digital department. On the way I've built up proficiency in HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP; I’ve also taken digital freelance work to build websites for diverse, inclusive cultural organisations. Go ahead and click on the following job titles to find out a little more about my background.



Key Experience

The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge CB2 1RB

Digital & IT Coordinator / Ongoing

  • Assisting the head of Digital with various minor and major projects.
  • Reviewing the codebase for our new site, built in the PHP framework Laravel.
  • Editing collections data in Axiell Collections.
  • I’ve recently been given ownership over relaunching our outdated Conservation Blog. I designed a new layout and structure in Figma, and I’m currently coding an entirely custom WordPress theme in PHP.
  • Creation of content for digital platforms of the Fitzwilliam Museum
  • Development of front and back-end code to enable digital platforms to operate at optimal abilities
  • Providing support to museum community members who use our digital content platforms, including training when required

Previous Fitzwilliam Roles / June 2019 - June 2020

  • My previous role was as a Visitor Services Assistant, a point of connection between the Museum and its thousands of weekly visitors.
  • Before the pandemic I was a longstanding volunteer in the Museum’s Learning Department, facilitating workshops and family tours; I also volunteered at Cambridge’s modern and contemporary art gallery, Kettle’s Yard, in both the Learning and Front of House Teams.
  • In addition, I developed and ran LGBTQ+ tours of the Fitzwilliam Museum for the ‘Bridging Binaries’ project, exploring the museum’s collection through the lens of queer theory; these tours consistently sold out and received very positive feedback and press coverage. Recently, myself and my fellow tour guides were awarded a Through the Door Award at the SHARE Museums East Volunteer Awards, and shortlisted for Volunteer Team of the Year at the National Museums + Heritage Awards.

Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, London N1 7RW

Intern / January – March 2020

  • Tasks included writing and scheduling multimedia marketing content, both through MailChimp and across the foundation’s social media accounts Instagram and Twitter, copy-editing the Foundation’s latest most recent book, taking care of VIPs and press during exhibition previews, and dealing with email and telephone inquiries and submissions.
  • Due to the changing circumstances of the foundation, there wasn’t an opportunity to work towards the development and realisation of an exhibition; I did, however, take full advantage of the opportunity to gain insight into working in a small, professional office and creative environment, and have greatly benefitted from my colleagues’ insights into the contemporary art industry.

Pembroke College Development Office, Cambridge CB2 1RF

Development Assistant / April 2019 – October 2019

  • I worked on three major fundraising campaigns for the Pembroke College Development Office, all of which involved contacting alumni and soliciting donations.
  • Besides the strong time-management skills required to work evenings around my various academic and gallery commitments, alongside a regular housekeeping job I maintained throughout the summer, the role provided me with invaluable training and experience in fundraising, and further developed the communication skills I've gained in the previous retail and hospitality jobs I’ve held alongside my studies since secondary school.

Pembroke House Social Action Centre, Walworth SE17 1QR

Events and Outreach Intern / July 2019

  • Pembroke House is a unique community space in which I was lucky enough to live and work during the run-up to their annual Street Party. Embodying the community-led ethos of its foundation over 130 years ago, Pembroke House collaborates with local residents, organisations and institutions to deliver and support a wide range of projects: from English classes and music lessons to Alcoholics Anonymous and mental wellbeing support, alongside a community kitchen surrounded by flexible and open bookable spaces.
  • Walworth demonstrates some of the highest levels of inequality in the UK, and my time at Pembroke House was both inspirational and useful for the way it demonstrated a successful model of intentionally diverse community engagement: the Street Party was a huge success, with over 400 attendees from all backgrounds turning out to celebrate the community.

Artist’s Assistant to Sophie Seita, Cambridge CB3 9ET

Research Assistant / December 2018 – April 2019

  • While studying for my MPhil degree I worked in a paid capacity for Junior Research Fellow Sophie Seita, during the time she was based at Queens’ College Cambridge. Sophie is a performance artist, writer, researcher, and translator. I assisted her with the organisation of various art projects, which mainly involved researching funding, performance programmes, residency opportunities and more.
  • I also have experience working with artists as an assistant and performer, for Paul Kindersley and for Caroline Wendling, and have previously organised arts events independently: these include a reading and launch party for a zine of experimental feminist poetics I helped produce, and an exhibition of undergraduate art.

Education

Oct. 2018 to July 2019: Pembroke College, Cambridge – English Literature (Criticism and Culture) MPhil (Distinction)
Sept. 2014 to July 2017: Queen Mary, University of London – English Literature BA Honours (First, Recipient of the Drapers’ Company Prize for Outstanding Achievement)
Sept. 2015 to July 2016: University of California, Irvine – Year Abroad Majoring in English Literature (Recipient of Dean’s Honor Award)
Sept. 2007 to July 2014: The Judd School, Tonbridge: English Literature (A*), History (A), Art (A)