Justine Boussard FRSA is a curator and storyteller with fifteen year’s experience working on design and craft exhibitions, public engagement and creative programming with clients including the Design Museum, Crafts Council, Jane Withers and North East Museums. As the Amateur Ancestor, she creates experiences that harness the power of material culture to expand participants’ sense of agency, when faced with the reality of the climate and biodiversity crises.

An inspiring speaker on the role of Culture and Heritage in Climate Action, she curated the Bodies of Water Symposium on Regenerative Art Practice with UP Projects (Liverpool Biennial 2025). A dedicated facilitator, she regularly trains heritage staff on environmental interpretation and storytelling. This has included Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, the Bowes Museum as well as Museum Development Midlands (in partnership with CMUK colleagues.)

She is a graduate of the V&A/RCA MA in History of Design (2012) and a member of Climate Museum UK. The Amateur Ancestor project has been supported by grants from the Arts Council (Develop Your Creative Practice grant 2022), Natural History Museum and Creative UK (2024).

After years in London, she happily relocated to the North East of England where she dips in the North Sea as often as she can.