Director appointed to Museum of Cambridge

Alex Smaridge has been appointed as the director of the Museum of Cambridge.

Smaridge has been at the museum since 2021 working in community engagement, and more recently as engagement and collections manager from 2022-25. She has acted as interim director of the museum since 2024.

As director, Smaridge will hold overall responsibility for the museum’s collections, engagement and operations, as well as leading the museum’s strategy and direction as it begins to make plans for a major redevelopment.

Smaridge’s prior career has included creating immersive experiences with the National Trust, income generation, historic building and facilities care, and leading operations and engagement. She is an Associate of the Museums Association (AMA).

She said: “It is an incredibly exciting time to be at the Museum of Cambridge. I’m quite proud of the work the team has accomplished over the last four years, recovering from Covid-19 closures, working through critical repairs of the listed building with our landlords, the city council, and featuring a wave of new temporary exhibitions.

“I am delighted to have been appointed to the role at a time of exciting change and development. There are fantastic stories waiting to be told in our collection and in the communities that surround us.

“More than ever, it is important for us to be looking at the stories we are sharing, filling in the gaps in our stories and creating opportunities for more people to engage with Cambridge’s rich history.” 

Roger Lilley, the museum’s chair of trustees, said: “We are very pleased to have Alex step into this role at the museum. With our sights set on the future of the museum, and the future of partnerships, we are very confident in Alex’s ability to build relationships and move the Museum of Cambridge forward.”

Formerly known as the Cambridge & County Folk Museum, the Museum of Cambridge opened in 1936 and explores over 300 years of Cambridgeshire history and heritage. Its longest-serving curator, from 1947-1976, was the renowned folklorist Enid Porter, a leading authority on Cambridgeshire culture and a pioneer of oral history.