Carys Tyson-Taylor

I am currently undertaking a AHRC funded Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship with University of Leicester and National Museums NI. My project titled ‘A tragedy not to preserve now, while there is still time’ – the establishment of a Folk Museum for Ulster, 1929-1964’, aims to produce a critical and nuanced analysis of the establishment and early development of the Ulster Folk Museum (situated near Belfast in Northern Ireland), exploring how an understanding of its history might contribute to shaping its future. Overall, my thesis explores how an understanding of the museum’s founding ethos and key motivators behind its conception might inform and support its current and future transformation, particularly in the context of its Reawakening project, which aims to expand the museum’s role as a heritage and environment resource - making it more relevant and more resilient for current and future generations.

Currently based in Leicester, I am excited to move to Belfast for the next academic year of my PhD (Second Year). This will allow me to spend more time at the museum and gain greater access to the archival resources crucial to my study.

My project, ‘A tragedy not to preserve now, while there is still time’ – the establishment of a Folk Museum for Ulster, 1929-1964’, aims to produce a critical and nuanced analysis of the establishment and early development of the Ulster Folk Museum, exploring how an understanding of its history might contribute to shaping its future. My research objectives include examining the key academic, political and societal figures involved in the museum’s founding, focusing on figures such as Emyr Estyn Evans, George Thompson and Alan Gailey; situating the establishment of the museum within the broader contexts of post-war nationalist identity formation, governance in Northern Ireland and the international folk museum movement; examining the ideological motivations behind the conception of the museum, including concepts of shared heritage, regional differences and cultural diversity; challenging the historiographical methods used in the museum’s early practices, identifying how key contributors of the museum’s establishment may have been overlooked; and reflecting on how an understanding of the museum’s past can guide its future strategic development, visitor engagement and narrative transformation within the twenty-first century. Overall, this thesis explores how an understanding of the museum’s founding ethos and key motivators behind its conception might inform and support its current and future transformation, particularly in the context of its Reawakening project, which aims to expand the museum’s role as a heritage and environment resource - making it more relevant and more resilient for current and future generations.

This research is timely and necessary as the Ulster Folk Museum enters a major period of transformation through its Reawakening project. In my exploration of the decisions, ideologies and networks that shaped the museum’s early years, my project enables reflection on how the museum has constructed and interpreted ideas about our past. My project therefore aligns closely with the museum’s current aims of moving beyond nostalgic narratives to provide visitors with a contemporarily relevant and engaging experience. Additionally, my research attempts to address wider historiographical questions about approaching the history of cultural institutions, the challenges surrounding objectivity within historical narratives and the inclusion of previously overlooked voices within historical narratives. Therefore, my project is relevant both within the discipline of museum studies and for the broader public engaging with the Folk Museum. Thus, my project provides an opportunity not only for critical historical reflection but also for practical present-day application, offering insights into how the museum might enhance its approach to traditional crafts, engage with sustainability and utilise its collections to address contemporary societal issues - demonstrating the significant contemporary relevance the Ulster Folk Museum holds for visitors today. As Victoria Millar, Senior Curator of History for the Ulster Folk Museum articulates, ‘we can transform the narrative at the Ulster Folk Museum by harnessing its immense cultural value to create a more relevant, participatory, and meaningful experience for visitors.’[1] My research thus supports both the scholarly development of museum studies and the Ulster Folk Museum’s transformational strategic goals in the twenty-first century, as it aims to tell a more inclusive and representative historical narrative for the establishment of the Folk Museum. 

Heritage Hub Student Ambassador (February 2025 - Present) - University of Leicester

My current role provides an exciting opportunity to support University of Leicester Heritage Hub events, both on campus as well as across the city and region. Within this role, I contribute to enhancing the profile and reputation of the University, working with heritage partners (e.g., museums and local heritage organisations), and helping new and diverse audiences to connect with the University's heritage expertise and assets, including publicly accessible collections and archives.  

AHRC CDP Studentship (September 2024 - present) - University of Leicester and National Museums NI

Masters Scholarship (September 2022 - September 2023) - University of Birmingham

Undergraduate Scholarship (September 2019 - September 2022) - University of Nottingham

Lancaster Historical Postgraduate Conference (2023) - University of Lancaster. Paper titled 'How did Nazi racial imperitives inform the conception of Germania?'

Social History Society Conference (2024) - Black Country Living Museum. Paper titled 'Emyr Estyn Evans: Representing Regional Differences at the Ulster Folk Museum.'

PhD Museum Studies (September 2024 - present) - University of Leicester and National Museums NI. AHRC CDP Studentship 'A tragedy not to preserve now, while there is still time' - the establishment of a Folk Museum for Ulster, 1929-1964.' 

MA History of Art (September 2022 - September 2023) - University of Birmingham. Merit Honours Degree Achieved. Awarded Masters Scholarship by the University of Birmingham. Academic achievements of note included a distinction level essay on the intersection between politics and architecture during the Nazi Regime. My particular interest during my masters' on twentieth-century glass architecture in Berlin motivated me to present a paper at the University on Lancaster's 2023 Historical Postgraduate Conference. 

BA History of Art (September 2019 - September 2022) - University of Nottingham. Upper Second-Class Honours Degree achieved. Awarded Undergraduate Scholarship by the University of Nottingham.