Widening Participation in Archives and Records Management Summer School

Ever wondered who gets to shape the historical record? Curious about questions of power, truth, and accountability? Want to know what a career in archives, records management, or information governance involves? 

The UCL MA Archives and Records Management (ARM) programme is pleased to announce the 2026 Widening Participation Summer School, kindly funded by the Dean’s Strategic Development Fund.  

Taking place in central London from 6-9 July, this summer school aims to open doors to studying and working in the recordkeeping sector, with a focus on widening access to professionally accredited ARM postgraduate courses.

We particularly welcome applications from those who may experience barriers to accessing and entering the recordkeeping professions based on race, colour, religion or belief, nationality, socioeconomic or ethnic origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity or expression. 

The summer school offers a mix of talks from staff and experts at UCL, professionals from across the recordkeeping sector, hands-on practical sessions, visits to archives and specialist cultural institutions, dedicated career planning, and mentoring opportunities from our course alumni. 

There are 10 places available, open to UK residents only. There is no minimum experience required, but applicants should not already possess a postgraduate qualification in Archives and Records Management. Participants will receive a stipend towards travel, accommodation, costs associated with caring responsibilities, and other expenses. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.  

APPLY HERE 

Please note that that the deadline for applications is 23:59 on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

This is the second summer school of its kind hosted by UCL. You can read testimony from our previous participants and learn more about our approach to widening participation, liberating the curriculum, and diversifying the recordkeeping workforce here: Building a more representative community of professionals? The Widening Participation in Archives and Records Management Summer School at UCL 

This programme is supported by the Department of Information Studies (DIS) and the Centre for Critical Archives and Records Management Studies (CCARMS). Find out more about DIS here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/information-studies  

If you are interested in applying and have any questions about this opportunity, you are welcome to contact the summer school organisers, Dr Lucy Brownson (L.Brownson@ucl.ac.uk) and Dr Hannah Smyth (Hannah.Smyth@ucl.ac.uk).

Indicative Programme

Day 1

Morning: Archives, records, and repositories

Afternoon: Site Visit / Expert Session

Day 2

Morning: Recordkeeping practice and cataloguing

Afternoon: Oral History and activist/community-based archiving; Site Visit

Day 3

Morning: Introduction to digitisation; AI, governance, and digital ethics

Afternoon: Expert session and practical in Digital Preservation

Day 4

Morning: Understanding the career landscape and alumni mixer

Afternoon: Panel on routes into the profession; planning your next steps