Catrin Jones has a specialist job, but it is far from a limiting role. As one of the Chief Curators at the UK’s iconic Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Jones is responsible for the V&A Wedgwood Collection.
It includes over 175,000 ceramics, paintings, designs, letters and photographs, and is considered far more than just an archive of design history. It is about storytelling and, in particular, charts the story of Wedgwood’s founder Josiah Wedgwood, and his many interesting family members, from Charles Darwin onwards.
Jones has been with the V&A since 2000, and prior to that was head Curator for the fabulous Holburne Museum in Bath (UK) from 2018, and prior to that responsible for its Decorative Arts Collection. She wrote the stunning monograph, Wedgwood: Craft & Design, published by Thames & Hudson in 2023, and Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years (Thames & Hudson, 2019), and currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the British Ceramics Biennial and the Zibby Garnett Travel Foundation.
The landmark V&A exhibition, Wedgwood: Artists and Industry, is bringing over 100 objects to the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Townsville, in an Australian-first, this April.
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Ahead of the Collection’s visit, ArtsHub catches up with Jones to learn more about her job.
How would you describe what you do to a non-arts friend?
As Chief Curator of the V&A Wedgwood Collection, I’m looking after the amazing Collection, from ceramics to archives, but also managing the team, delivering projects, leading our strategy – lots of things that would be familiar in other sectors. There are glamorous aspects, but it’s also quite practical. Working in a museum is such a varied job. I’d probably point someone to an exhibition – like the Wedgwood: Artists and Industry show – it takes logistics and planning, creative storytelling, design, writing and interpretation, but hopefully when you see it, it’s about the objects in front of you and what they say to you.
What qualifications do you need for this job? How did you get your start in this career?
I think the main qualification is being curious and interested, as you need to work on such a variety of projects, from exhibitions and gallery projects, to cataloguing and sharing the collections, to research and developing learning programs. My background is in art history, and I’ve been lucky enough to work in some great museums in the UK, from the V&A, to the Ashmolean and London’s Museum of the Home. I also have an MBA in leadership, which comes in useful across many areas of my work.
How collaborative is this job?
Any project is a collaboration, but so much of what we do is about building partnerships and connections, whether that’s with other museums, schools, commercial partners and, most importantly, our communities. I work with colleagues across the V&A, from curators and researchers, marketing, exhibitions, retail, finance and development.
What are some of the challenges you face in your job?
Right now we’re starting a major cataloguing project, called Unpacking the V&A Wedgwood Collection. It runs until 2030 when over 175,000 items will be fully searchable online on the V&A’s website for the first time. It’s such a group effort to unpack, document, research and photograph these collections and archives, and we hope it will be the jumping off point for many interesting creative ideas. But there is a lot to do!
What’s an average week like?
My week can vary a lot, but generally it includes some team meetings, discussions with colleagues about current projects, planning, writing or research. A fair few emails … and I try and build in some thinking time!
What’s the most common misconception about your job?
I think there’s an idea that museums are not for everyone. Talk to a lot of the people that work in them and you’ll find passionate people wanting to share, and also challenge, our heritage, opening up conversations and changing the world.
In an interview for your job, what skills or qualities would you be looking for?
Enthusiasm, critical thinking, and an interest in understanding and sharing information and collections for a broad audience.
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What’s changing in your professional area today?
The role of museums is changing – more people than ever are connecting with the cultural sector, but there’s still a lot of work to do to help more people connect. I think there’s concern over funding and how to work sustainably, but also a confidence that museums can be places of discussion and creativity.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you in this job?
I’d say filming for TV is one of the strangest things I’ve done. I loved sharing our stories for BBC’s Secrets of the Museum, for example. When you see the finished product it looks so slick, but behind the scenes there is a whole creative world, whether walking down the same corridor a few times for camera, or just trying to be natural onscreen.
You can view the incredible Wedgwood Collection managed by Catrin Jones, at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Townsville from 6 April – 24 August 2025. Learn more.
