Laura Beare

Profile

I am dedicated museum professional with over 14 years’ experience in the sector. The focus of my career has been on audience engagement. I have had previous roles in events management, community engagement, marketing and digital communications.

I have been at the University of Leeds, in the Cultural Collections & Galleries team, since 2015. I took on the Audience Development Manager role in 2023. In this role I have created a comprehensive Audience Development strategy for Cultural Collections & Galleries. The strategy places our audiences and local communities at the heart of what we do. It also prioritises data-driven decision making.

I am also passionate about making our offer as inclusive as possible, so set up the Accessibility Working Group in 2024. The group is a cross-team initiative with a focus on improving access to our physical and digital spaces.

Finally, I have a strong interest in digital communications and innovation. This has led me to become co-chair of the Engagement & Communications workstream for the Digital Library Infrastructure Project.

In my free time I am a Trustee for the Brontë Society and Museum.

Responsibilities

• Developing and implementing a comprehensive audience development strategy for Cultural Collections.
• Coordinating communication and marketing activities across Cultural Collections & Galleries.
• Manager of the audience development team.

Qualifications

• MA (Hons) English Literature and History, University of Glasgow
• MA Museum Studies, University of Leicester

Professional memberships

• Museums Association, Member