Hello and welcome to the Cultural Peeps Podcast. My name is Iain Wheeldon and I’m a Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University.
This Podcast series is part of an ongoing project which explores different careers across the cultural sectors.
I really want this series to do three things;
The first aim is to help people understand the huge range of ever-changing job profiles that now exist across these complex and interconnected sectors.
The second is aim is to help people interpret job titles in the context of different venues and organisations – often, jobs with the same title can be radically different depending on the organisation.
The third aim is to help listeners understand that the people that make up any field of work are all human and are ultimately making human decisions, and that in turn plays a significant part in their unfolding careers and decision making processes.
Episode 62 - Stephen Welsh (Head of Exhibitions and Public Programming, University of Liverpool)
Episode 62 is with Stephen Welsh, the Head of Exhibitions and Public Programming with the Libraries, Museums & Galleries team at the University of Liverpool.
Stephen is primarily based in the Victoria Gallery & Museum – A beautiful, tiled building designed by Alfred Waterhouse, which programmes a wide range of exhibitions that draw on the University’s research and collections.
In our chat we talk about how Stephen identified an early love for Museums, Heritage and History which led to his first degree in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at University of Edinburgh before relocating to undertake an MA in Art Gallery & Museum Studies at the University of Manchester.
After graduation Stephen worked at Manchester Museum as a Documentation Assistant and then at the International Slavery Museum – initially in a collections management position, which then turned into project curator role. At the end of that fixed term contract, Stephen then returned to Manchester Museum Curator of the Living Cultures.
In late 2019/ early 2020, Stephen made the decision to go freelance as a Cultural Practitioner- and we talk about what it was like to set up and develop a freelance business during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdowns.
Links:
University of Liverpool: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/
Victoria Gallery & Museum: https://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk/
Garstang Museum & Research Centre: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/garstang-museum/
Special Collections & Archives: https://libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/library/sca
Science Fiction Hub: https://libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/library/sca/sfhub
Institute of Popular Music Institute: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/institute-of-popular-music/archive-
collections/
Alfred Waterhouse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Waterhouse
The Slate above the Tate (History and Restoration of the Tate Hall in the Victoria Gallery & Museum): https://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk/blog/2022/the-slate-above-the-tate/
Cunard Archive: https://libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/library/sca/cunardarchive
Tate Hall: https://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk/about-us/tate-hall/
Light bulb Moments: https://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/lightbulb-moments/
Steve Slack: https://www.steveslack.co.uk/
Manchester Museum: https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/
Historic Environment Scotland: https://www.historicenvironment.scot
National Museums Liverpool: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/
Archery Collection: https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/collections/archery
Emerald Lens: https://emeraldlenscic.org.uk/
Voyager Space Probes: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/
Voyager Space Probe -The Golden Record: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-golden-record-overview/
Olaf Stapledon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_Stapledon
9 Sept 2026
Episode 61 - Ruth Haycock (Founder, Director & Principal Consultant, Co-Create Culture)
This episode is with Ruth Haycock, the Founder, Director and Principal Consultant of Co-create Culture.
Ruth is a senior leader specialising in cultural strategy, interpretation and audience engagement, with over 20 years’ experience shaping transformation projects and inclusive cultural programmes across the arts, heritage and museum sectors. Her practice is grounded in care, curiosity and a belief in culture as a civic resource for social connection, collective wellbeing and environmental awareness.
I first met Ruth in the early days of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, when she was undertaking a placement with the Education & Learning Team as part of her MA programme in Cultural Management at Northumbria University.
After graduating from Northumbria, Ruth then went on to work firstly for Eyestorm in Leeds, then Pavilion - a visual arts commissioning organisation that produces ambitious new work with contemporary artists. That role led to a role at the National Media Museum (now the National Science & Media Museum) in Bradford where she worked for 7 years.
Ruth then went on to work as both an Interpretation Manager and an Interpretation Curator at English Heritage, where she managed the development and delivery of interpretation projects.
Whilst at English Heritage, Ruth was seconded to the role of Head of Museum Exhibitions at National Museums Liverpool before then founding Co-create Culture in 2025, through which she aims to collaborate with organisations to develop place-responsive interpretation, audience engagement strategies, and deliver cultural experiences that build social connection and support meaningful change.
Since recording this conversation, Co-Create Culture has secured a significant four-year contract with Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens. Ruth has been appointed Project Manager for the Community Engagement and Audience Development Unlocking Ushaw project, working through its development phase to 2030 supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England. The appointment represents a major milestone in Co-Create Culture’s first year and puts into practice the multi-year project and partnership model Ruth discusses during the episode.
LINKS:
Baltic (placement): https://baltic.art/
Antony Gormley: https://www.antonygormley.com/
Domain Field (Exhibition by Antony Gormley): https://www.antonygormley.com/works/exhibitions/domain-field
BT: https://www.bt.com/
Eyestorm: https://www.eyestorm.com/
Young British Artists (YBAs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_British_Artists
Marc Quinn: http://marcquinn.com/
Pavillion (photography): https://www.pavilion.org.uk/
National Science and Media Museum: https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/
Jerwood: https://jerwood.org/
National Museums Liverpool: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/
English Heritage: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
2 Sept 2026
Episode 60 - Mark Robinson (Experiences Development Delivery Partner - National Trust)
This episode is with Mark Robinson - Experiences Development Delivery Partner with the National Trust.
Mark has a fascinating role, in which he advises and supports different teams and managers from across the National Trust to strategically plan and develop their sites - this includes supporting a wide range of the Trust's work, from experience and engagement design, to visioning, purpose and interpretation planning.
In our chat we talk about Mark's educational journey - from his initial passion for film, which led to a first degree in film and literature at Sheffield Hallam and then a short stint working in Film and television, to his MSc, which allowed him to focus on his passion for the North East of England, specialising in Food Tourism.
Mark then went on to Blyth Valley Borough as the Cultural Development Officer for Arts Heritage and Tourism. As part of that role, he worked with partners and local communities to deliver Heritage Open Days, and work with sites like Blyth Battery and Seaton Delaval Hall.
This work led directly to Mark’s first job in the National trust, which was as a Community Volunteering Manager.
Links:
The National Trust: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
Byker Grove (BBC Television Series): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byker_Grove
Ken Loach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Loach
Raining Stones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raining_Stones
Riff Raff (Ken Loach Film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riff-Raff_(1991_film)
Harry potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher%27s_Stone_(film)
Runner(Film Role): https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/production-management/production-runner/
Food Tourism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culinary_tourism
Charles Rene Mackintosh: https://www.crmsociety.com/
Antoni Gaudi: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/320/
Blyth Battery: https://www.blythbattery.org.uk/
Blyth Battery Volunteers Receive the King's Award for Voluntary Service: https://blyth.live/blog/blyth-battery-kings-award
Seaton Delaval Hall: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/seaton-delaval-hall
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Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
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Engagement
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