Peter William Avery

About the Candidate

over Letter.
I am applying for this after 30 years in the museum / gallery /
exhibitions and now theatre industries. I find myself, as a youthful
fifty something, working for people in management who are half my age
and I often take the lead on a project, despite the fact I am just a
freelance technician. I have covered all aspects of the industry:
installation, rigging, fabrication and all logistics related to
moving objects around, and hold all relevant licenses from MEWPs to
Telehandlers. As Technical Manager at Modern Art Oxford, I had three
years of managing exhibitions, on very stringent budgets, that
included Yoko Ono, Ed Ruscha, Mike Nelson and a multi-screen
Hitchcock themed show that I toured with from Sydney to Helsinki and
beyond. Ten years with Sam Forster constructing exhibition spaces at
both Tates, Hayward, Whitechapel, Serpentine etc, and full time with
Martinspeed and Mtec. Over the last seven years we have had a lot of
work in the Middle East: in particular Desert X at Al Ulla in the
Saudi Desert. Fourteen years at The RA and three years freelance at
the National Gallery
As far as being qualified to take on this post: my experience
is rich and varied, and comes with excellent hands on skills in art
handling, rigging, carpentry, framing and mounting with a sharp eye
for detail.
I do now have a summer contract as stage technician at
Glyndebourne Opera and that has taught me a whole new – but not
unrelated – world of possibilities. Last summer we had five operas in
rep: set changes from morning rehearsal to evening performance had to
be achieved in three hours. The discipline of stage and automation is
so professional, and the adrenaline rush of live cues was thrilling:
I quickly found myself on ‘hydraulics’: moving the entire Wagner set
on cue. A brilliant team that welcomed me into their world and I’m
booked in again for 2025.
However, I feel I need to take on a full-time position in the
last decade before retirement. Saying that, please don’t be
distracted by my age: I’m still cycling around London at great speed:
physically the same as ever with the energy and enthusiasm to match.
I feel I have a lot to offer, and I know a lot of professionals and
gallerists in the industry.