Laura Bauld is a brilliantly talented curator with Glasgow Museums, and she really embodies what it means to be a modern museum professional, sharing her knowledge passionately and generously. She’s a knowledgeable historian, who cut her teeth in the museum world as a gallery assistant and volunteer, engaging people of all ages in local, social and art history in a way that makes sense to them.  

Laura recognizes that museums are not just places for learning, but also social places, where people come to have fun and engage with one another. She is also passionate about a museum playing a role of an activist and taking a stand on issues of human rights and social justice. She works relentlessly on making sure that museums represent people who have been marginalized in the past or whose histories are considered to be hidden –  including the LGBTQ community and BME community. She’s also really interested in women’s history, or herstory.

Laura has initiated successful projects for people experiencing mental health issues, supported older volunteers to gain confidence engaging with young people, starred on STV and BBC Radio Scotland speaking passionately and eloquently about collections and the historic past, and ensured that this year, for the first time ever, Pride Glasgow had a formal Glasgow Museums’ presence so that LGBTQI people in the city know that their heritage is not a marginal interest, all while getting on with the day job of Project Curator for a major museum refurbishment.