Dora Jok

Biography

Dora has been working at Sarawak Museum since 2010. Her current role as Head of Collections Management Division sees her responsible for the care, preservation, and management of the Sarawak Museum’s collections. These responsibilities also include the acquisition of new artefacts, ensuring the accurate cataloguing and registering of records, and digitising collections. Dora often shares her work and information about the collections at conferences and talks.

Dora’s previous role at Sarawak Museum was in Ethnology and Collection Management. It is estimated that Sarawak Museum has 25,000 ethnographical objects ranging in material and size and all very significant to the culture of the people of Sarawak. Dora found gaps in information on museum’s objects and as a result the documentation of ethnographical objects was Dora’s main priority in her role. As information was collected and documented Dora begun sharing the stories of objects with the public and she was also involved in the enhancement of the online collection database.

In 2023, Dora completed a temporary exhibition on Regatta and Baram peace-making; and in 2024 is looking to develop her skills in painting conservation to an advanced level.

Aside from her work responsibilities Dora is studying for a PhD part-time at the local university. Her study is on the epic in oral tradition in Sarawak. She hopes this PhD will make the beauty of Sarawak literature known outside of Borneo.

At the British Museum
During her time on the International Training Programme in 2016, Dora was based in the Department of Asia and her partner placement was spent at Glasgow Museums.

In 2016, participants were asked to develop a proposal for an Asahi Shimbun Display – a temporary exhibition in Room 3 at the British Museum – based around a single ‘spotlight’ object. Dora’s exhibition project proposal was entitled Sacred ink: connecting heaven and earth in Borneo.

Dora’s place on the International Training Programme was generously supported by Sarawak Museum.

Legacy Projects
In December 2017 Dora attended the ITP+ course on Photography and Documentation. In a series workshop, spread over a 5 day period, fellows attended seminars, creative workshops, hands-on sessions and practical working groups with colleagues from the British Museum. The aim of the course was to further the professional development and reconnect the alumni from the summer programme.