Hello!
My name is Lucy Catherine Parker, I am a new assistant archivist at UAL in the Archives and Special Collections Centre (ASCC). Before starting work at UAL, I have worked in many different archive environments, including museums, galleries and arts organizations.
My background is in art, I originally did a BFA in Fine Art and Contemporary Critical Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. I then did an MA on a half scholarship in Visual and Critical Studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. I moved into working in archives both during and after I graduated, before getting my professional qualification in archives and records management at University College London.
Access
What I love about archives is making them accessible. I really enjoy working with researchers and artists, as well as bringing archives into learning and teaching. It's also great to support creative responses to collections, including exhibitions, new creative work, or drawing out new stories.
I also enjoy thinking about cataloguing and how to develop collections with a critical lens, because listing and describing what you have in an archive is the first step to making them accessible. At UAL, I will be sharing in archive enquiries and search room support, teaching sessions for both undergraduate and graduate courses, and archives cataloguing. I am also really interested in getting involved in digital preservation and digital access.
Cataloguing projects
I am currently cataloguing some papers relating to Cockpit Gallery, an independent photography collective in the 1970s and 1980s. It was part of the former ILEA Cockpit Arts Workshop programme, which included many exhibition events and artist photographers relating to social issues including women’s roles in society, labour relations, immigration, disability, education and much more.
Hopes
I hope to learn and work with colleagues to think about how to make archives more inclusive places to study and work. I am also really excited to be able to support students and researchers in their creative fields to this end.
Stories
In addition, I will be lead coordinator for posts to the 'Into the Archives' stories page, so if you have worked with us at ASCC for your research or teaching and have an interesting story to tell, do get in touch!
Questions?
If you have any questions about our collections or activites, please contact us at archive-enquiries@arts.ac.uk.