Leigh Cain: Head of Design and Exhibitions
Profile
Name: Leigh Cain
Job title: Head of Design and Exhibitions
Department: Design and Exhibitions, Museum of London
What is your role as the Head of Design and Exhibitions?
To oversee all design aspects of both the Museums and its exhibitions, at both sites.
What were you doing before this?
Employed by an exhibition design company to design The First Emperor – Terracotta Warriors, at The British Museum and the 33 new galleries extension at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Why did you decide to work as Head of Design and Exhibitions at the Museum?
I joined as Interim head in July ’07, and enjoyed the position, so applied when it came up.
Have you always wanted to do this and why?
I have always enjoyed design and relish a challenge!
What do you love about your job?
Designing and housing the objects and information in an enjoyable and interesting way to all kinds of people. Also, the different subjects that arise keep it fresh and varied.
What do you hate about your job?
Extremely tight budgets for the exhibition design!
What is the strangest or funniest thing that has ever happened to you in this job?
Being locked in a room of 30 rare wild cats at the National Museum of Scotland with a Bengal Tiger glaring at me. (Luckily for me they were all stuffed, not so lucky for them)
Where are you going in the future?
Probably over to museum in Docklands, there’s a lot going on there for me at the moment. I’m not going far, I like it here. An exhibition linked to a New York museum would be good though.
It’s great to feel privileged working with talented and dedicated people and with such diverse subjects – Jack the Ripper and before that the Terracotta Army. No two days are ever the same!