China Exchange is seeking a paid intern to join the team to support the 40 Years, 40 Stories project, funded by Historic England.
What will this involve?
Interns will be paid £13.15 per hour and asked to work 16 hours per week from September to November 2024 in our office in London’s Chinatown.
About the project
This programme will record and celebrate the often hidden stories of people working in Chinatown from 1985 when this part of the West End was officially designated as London’s Chinatown. The area is home to over 150 businesses and a place of work for thousands of ethnically, culturally, linguistically and socially diverse Londoners. However, the history of work and workers in Chinatown is often overlooked and under-represented. China Exchange will explore, reveal and share stories of everyday working lives in Chinatown over the past 40 years, facilitating community-building and advocating for a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of the neighbourhood. The project will be shaped by participants and will include recorded short and long-form interviews.
Centring the principle of co-creation (collaborating with other contributors to guide the design process), we will work closely with members of Chinatown’s workforce and volunteers with a heritage connection to Chinatown to develop this project and decide on the details of the final ways in which the stories are shared. We will showcase these co-created outcomes of this project during the Lunar New Year 2025, the start of the anniversary year for London’s Chinatown.
The project is being managed by Xiao Ma, Cultural Projects Manager and Researcher of China Exchange and is funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme, celebrating working class histories.
What will the internship offer?
The internship offers a paid opportunity to contribute to a meaningful project and build and/or strengthen our intern’s:
- Project planning and administration experience
- Experience in heritage resource gathering and interpretation practices
- Experience in volunteer engagement and stakeholder management
- Communications skills
We will offer:
- A laptop
- Being part of a committed team that wants your internship to be a valuable learning experience
- Training and reflection opportunities
What are we looking for?
A reliable person with:
- A strong sense of connection with London’s Chinatown – you will be able to tell us about what this area means to you and why
- Good organisation skills – you’ll like schedules, plans and making things clear to follow
- A preference for being with people in person – you will enjoy working with people, communicating face to face, and spending time with groups
- Attention to detail – you will be comfortable with the need to be thorough, and with cross-checking and referencing to ensure things are accurate
- Cantonese and/or Mandarin language skills will be an advantage
To apply, please send us your CV and a cover letter to info@chinaexchange.uk by 23:59 on 9 June 2024. We will hold interviews in the week of 17 June.
