Call for Speakers – ‘This is Archaeology’ Early Career Showcase 2025

Are you in the early stages of your career in the historic environment sector? Do you have a story to tell or a project you’re passionate about? The Council for British Archaeology (CBA), in partnership with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) Early Careers Special Interest Group, invites you to apply to be a speaker at our upcoming event for new voices in the sector.

This is a unique opportunity to take centre stage in our popular ‘This is Archaeology’ online lecture series and share your work with a large, enthusiastic public audience from across the UK and beyond.

The Opportunity

We are seeking three individuals to form a panel for an online event in November 2025. Each speaker will deliver a short, engaging presentation about their work, followed by a friendly, moderated Q&A session with the audience.

Our goal is to celebrate the vital contributions of early career professionals and showcase the incredible diversity of careers available within the modern heritage sector.

• Event Date (provisional): Thursday, 20th November 2025, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM GMT

• Platform: Online via Zoom Webinar

• Format: 3 x 15-minute presentations followed by a 20-minute panel Q&A.

Who Are We Looking For?

We want to hear from you if you are in the early stages of your career in the historic environment sector. You could be working in the field, in a lab, in an office, or with the public. We aim to select a panel that represents a variety of roles and are particularly keen to receive applications from people working in:

• Commercial archaeology (e.g., Field Officer, Surveyor, Project Officer)

• Built heritage and conservation (e.g., Heritage Consultant, Buildings Archaeologist)

• Museums and curation (e.g., Curator, Collections or Learning Officer)

• Local authority heritage services (e.g., HER Officer, Conservation officer)

• Academia and research (e.g. PhD student, post doctoral researcher)

• Specialist roles (e.g., Finds, Environmental, or Osteoarchaeology; Conservation; Digital Archaeology)

You do not need to have spoken at a conference before – we welcome first-time presenters and will provide plenty of support!

Your Presentation

This is not a formal academic conference. We want you to communicate your passion to an interested public audience. Your 15-minute talk could be about:

• An exciting or challenging project you’ve been part of.

• "A day in the life" of your role, busting some common myths.

• A particular site, building, or artefact that has inspired you during your professional journey and the story behind it.

• How your work is changing our understanding of the past.

What We Offer Our Speakers

• A platform to share your work with a large national audience.
• A complimentary one-year membership to the Council for British Archaeology.
• A full speaker briefing and technical run-through to ensure you feel confident and prepared.
• A professionally hosted event and a recording for your own portfolio.
• An opportunity to contect with other early career professionals

How to Apply

Ready to share your story? We’d love to hear from you.

Please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Early Careers Showcase Application".

Your application should include:

1. A short biography telling us about yourself and your role (approx. 100-150 words).

2. A proposed title and abstract for your 15-minute talk (approx. 200-300 words).

3. At least one image that we can use to help promote your talk.

The deadline for applications is 5:00 PM on Monday, 13th October 2025.

Successful applicants will be notified in mid-late October.

Please do feel free to contact us if you have any questions - [email protected] 

We look forward to receiving your application!