Assistant Curator / Curator, Malay Heritage Centre

[What the role is]

Situated within the historic Istana Kampong Gelam, a gazetted national monument, the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) showcases the history, culture and contributions of the Malay community within the context of Singapore's multicultural society. Following MHC's reopening, the Centre has deepened its commitment to presenting living community stories alongside core heritage content, creating a space where the Malay community sees itself reflected and actively participates in shaping its own narratives.

Reporting to the General Manager, you will be part of the Curatorial team at MHC. As Assistant Curator / Curator, you will support and contribute to the Centre's collections, research, and exhibition work, with a primary focus on Malay history, culture and heritage.

[What you will be working on]

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Curation and Interpretation

• Stakeholder Engagement

• Acquisitions & Collections

• Research, Publication and Scholarship

The ideal candidate is expected to manage the following areas:

Acquisitions

Make acquisitions based on collection gaps in alignment with NHB's strategic objectives, overall collecting criteria for the National Collection, and the specific strategies and priorities of the Malay Heritage Centre. You will be expected to work independently on basic acquisition and collections tasks, conduct acquisitions of varying complexity, and progressively strengthen relationships with donors, collectors and other stakeholders.

In this role, this means researching, identifying and acquiring new artefacts to strengthen MHC's collection on Malay heritage, building and maintaining relationships with potential donors and community organisations, and assisting in proposing strategic loans from other institutions or collectors.

Collections Specialisation

Develop specialisation for specific aspects of the collection for MHC. You will be expected to evaluate and interpret artefacts based on their material, technical, aesthetic, historical and sociocultural qualities, and progressively develop deeper specialised knowledge in areas of the collection, including the ability to authenticate artefacts. Written outputs will range from short collections-based catalogue entries to collections-based essays for the institution's publications.

In this role, this means building expertise in Malay material culture and heritage, and contributing to the scholarly documentation of MHC's collection, including through community-sourced knowledge and oral histories.

Research, Publication and Scholarship

Develop scholarship materials (i.e. journal articles, institutional reports, catalogues) by conducting research. Written outputs will grow from short-length articles and talks to full-length essays and lectures for the institution.

In this role, this means contributing to the development of research on the cultural heritage and histories of the Malay community in Singapore and the broader Malay world, and working with researchers and community contributors to produce outputs based on these frameworks.

Curation and Interpretation 

Ability to develop themes for an exhibition and collaborate with others to convey exhibition narrative. Handle, interpret, and integrate digital content (such as digitised artefacts, artworks, and archival materials) into the overall curation process and to leverage on digital tools and platforms, to craft compelling narratives. You will be expected to select artefacts, contribute to and progressively lead the development of exhibition design briefs, collaborate with designers and other specialists to convey compelling storylines, and interpret exhibition content for diverse audiences. For digital engagement, you will handle and interpret collections for digital curation and content sharing and grow from a basic understanding of digital curation techniques to actively leveraging digital tools and platforms to create engaging content.

In this role, this means conceptualising and developing storylines and narratives for MHC's permanent galleries and special exhibitions related to Malay history, culture and heritage, working closely with collections managers, conservators, designers, IT specialists and other parties, and supporting both physical and digital exhibition formats.

Stakeholder Engagement

Identify and prioritise stakeholders (e.g. community, practitioners, academics, patrons, collectors, donors, dealers) based on specific issues. Build and sustain relationships with stakeholders. Facilitate artefact loans through liaising with artefact owners and other stakeholders. Train volunteers and docents on exhibition content through lectures and walkthroughs. You will be expected to define issues, identify and ascertain the needs of relevant stakeholders, connect with them regularly to build alignment, and progressively take on greater responsibility in implementing stakeholder engagement plans and managing loan processes.

In this role, this means actively identifying and developing relations and partnerships with community groups, cultural practitioners and grassroots organisations as active partners in content development, supporting co-curated content and participatory approaches that foreground community voices, managing loan agreements, and conducting training on exhibition content for volunteers, docents and relevant parties.

[What we are looking for]

• Preferably a background in Sociology, Anthropology/Archaeology, Malay or Indonesian Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, History/Art History, Cultural Studies or Arts Management

• 1 to 3 years of experience in related curatorial or research work for the Assistant Curator level; 4 to 7 years for the Curator level

• Previous research and publication experience or community engagement work is an added advantage

• Strong passion and interest in both local and Malay history, culture and heritage

• Due to the nature of this role, the incumbent should be effectively bilingual in English and Malay, as they would be required to work with Malay content and liaise with Malay-speaking partners and stakeholders

Other Traits

• Possess excellent writing, research, communication and project management skills

• Ability to multitask and work within deadlines

• Able to work closely with digital specialists to develop digital experiences, with familiarity with digital curation tools and platforms being an advantage

• Meticulous, creative, innovative and resourceful in exploring alternative ways to ensure projects can be carried out

• Genuine curiosity about and respect for community voices, with the ability to support co-creation processes sensitively and inclusively

• Able to work independently and be a good team player