For the second of our special Women’s History Month seminars, we invite you to join us for a roundtable session with several key figures from museums and collections centred around celebrated women writers. We’ll be sitting down with Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, House Manager at the Elizabeth Gaskell House in Manchester; Belinda Smith, Visitor Experience Manager at the National Trust; and Lizzie Dunford, Director at Jane Austen’s House in Hampshire.
Wednesday, 27 April 2022, 12.30pm BST
Register on Zoom here.
‘Homes of Women Writers: Presenting Women Writers to Today’s Diverse Communities’
The United Kingdom – and, indeed, the world today – is far more multi-cultural and diverse than the worlds many celebrated British women writers would have known. While the works of authors such as Elizabeth Gaskell and Jane Austen are still read by millions around the globe and remain stalwart mainstays of English literature, the question that remains is this: how do – and should – museums and places of commemoration around these literary figures work to relate them to a diverse audience that increasingly seeks equally diverse representation in their media and public institutions? Our lunchtime roundtable will seek to explore how leadership within these institutions are attempting to address changing and complex audiences around these issues.
About the Speakers
Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd has been House Manager at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Manchester for the past 5 years. With the support of a small staff and large volunteer team, her role includes everything from grant applications and strategic planning to washing up in the tea room on busy days. Prior to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, She worked as a Marketing Manager for 10 years at Marketing Lancashire, championing the county to domestic and overseas visitors.
Lizzie Dunford has been the Director of Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire since her appointment in April 2020 and brings more than a decade of experience working in museums and historic houses to the role. Prior to joining Jane Austen’s House, she was the operations manager at Chiltern Open Air Museum and previously served in various conservation and management positions for organisations including the National Trust.
Belinda Smith is Visitor Operations & Experience Manager with the National Trust, English Riviera, overseeing National Trust sites such as Agatha Christie’s holiday home in Devon, Greenway.
