ARCHIVES, MUSEUMS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Cumbria | 2004–2022

Selected work across archives, historic houses, libraries and cultural services, using objects, automata, records and public making to open collections and stories.

Dawn Hurton’s practice has been shaped by sustained work inside archives, historic houses, libraries, public art studios and local cultural services.

At Cumbria Archive Service, her remit was to broaden access to twelve miles of written records. Participation increased substantially in the first year. She developed reusable resources, story boxes, automata, light-based work and public programmes that brought archival fragments into physical and visual form.

Earlier work at Dalemain Historic House and Gardens, BlueJam Community Music and Arts, public art studios and local-authority cultural services added practical knowledge of collections, fabrication, interpretation, partnership and audiences.

Later, as Cultural Lead for Cumbria County Council Libraries, she worked at strategic level across public culture.