Beatriz Gómez Arribas studied a Bachelor’s Degree in History at the Universitat de València. She completed her education with the Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage with the specialisation in preventive preservation of Cultural Heritage.

After a few years working in the public administration at the Spanish National Research Council and in the private sector, she became an entrepreneur and started her own company of cultural management in Galicia.

In the following interview, Beatriz explains her experience and what encouraged her to make her business idea real by creating a company of cultural management that is currently competing in the whole Spanish market.

1. Why did you study History at the Universitat de València?

To be honest, I never thought about studying somewhere else. I knew the institution and the possibilities that it offered, especially the chance to do some different educational experience such as the Erasmus Programme or SICUE.

2. Beatriz, did you use the employment service (OPAL) of the UV when you were a student or a graduate? What was your experience? Was it useful?

The truth is that I always used this tool, mostly for being informed about certain calls that were published on this platform back then. Actually, I found one of the labour opportunities that might have changed my professional career the most on this employment portal.

3. How would you assess your professional career in the Spanish National Research Council and in the private sector? With the benefit of hindsight, did it help you in terms of creating your own company?

In fact, I had already worked in several jobs linked to my studies but never in the public sector. Therefore, I had never seen the problems created as a result of the public-private dichotomy. Of course this experience helped me to understand a series of difficulties in terms of scientific dissemination and the assessment of the archaeological heritage in the society.

4. What encouraged you to start your own business project?

I thought that it was possible to establish didactic, fun and original activities that would contribute to raising social awareness and that would influence positively in the assessment, preservation of the archaeological heritage.
In addition, we were eager and satisfied for designing and making our own projects related to heritage didactics real.

5. What is the main problem that you have found in your path?

In business terms, we had the mistaken idea that designing cultural activities was simple. We thought that any institution could perform them and that they had no real educative value.
Speaking as member of the company, being a woman has sometimes meant to double the effort to be heard because my project was not taken seriously.
This may seem a reality of the past, but unfortunately this issue is still happening nowadays.

6. What was the main support or what was essential for getting your project off the ground?

No doubt, it has been the will to succeed. We learn from each mistake that we made as a company. Additionally, we were excited of creating a company that moved away from the standards. We had our own objectives, dreams, hopes and philosophy.

7. What do you do in GALIPAT? What is your greatest value?

GaliPat was born as a company focused on creating products that would help to disseminate Galician archaeological heritage. Obviously our company has grown and we know offer different services linked to cultural heritage such as: assembling exhibitions, creating archaeological replicas, customer services, design, didactic services and specialised didactic advice.
Our greatest value is our team. We are a multidisciplinary group and we all are free to speak.

8. Given your experience, what are the factors that make your company successful?

Perseverance, accepting critics and learn from them. It is important to fight for your project and believe in it, but it is also important not to lose your way.

9. What would you advise to a person who has a business idea and would like to make it real?

Organise a good business plan, go to advice sessions for young entrepreneurs, carry out courses of business management and most importantly, being keen on your project. It is of course important not to lose the excitement in spite of having some failures. You must trust in the quality of your project.

10. You are an expert in cultural management and museums, how would you classify the current situation of cultural management and museums in Spain? Would you implement new initiatives in Spain in comparison with other countries?

I believe that currently there are more and more opportunities to train yourself in this field in Spain. This is the reason why i forecast a brilliant generation of future managers.
Maybe, it would be also necessary that at the same time labour opportunity were created. In other countries our job has been established for long. As a result they do understand what are our goals and objectives, which are so far unknown in Spain.

11. Thank you very much. Would you like to add something to this interview?

Thank you very much for this opportunity and I hope that GaliPat can keep on working and growing in the Valencian Community... I love working in Valencia again.

More Information:

Profile/Bio: Graduate in History and Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage with the specialisation in preventive preservation of heritage... The objective of my job is improving and increasing scientific knowledge among people, particularly school students. We offer materials and experiences to the teachers and the students so that they can reach a series of educational transversal objectives.
Name: Beatriz Gómez Arribas
Age: 35
Birthplace: Valencia.
Education: UV Graduate in History and UV Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage with the specialisation in preventive preservation of heritage...
Career:
Design and organisation of the educational programme of the Castro de Troña. Ponteareas 2014-2015.
Design of the programme of activities escolaresm and implementation of activities for children in the Archaeological Museum of Santa Trega (MASAT) during the 2014-2015 academic year.
๏Design of the programme of activities for children of the Archaeological Centre of Dolmen de Dombate for the following academic years: 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 y 2018-2019
Implementation didactic workshops for children in the Archaeological Centre of Dolmen de Dombate for the following academic years: 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 y 2018-2019
Design and implementation of didactic workshops in the Day of Museums at the Centro Museo Gaias in Santiago de Compostela in 2015.
Design and organisation of the project Educastro: Transmedia platform and archaeological experience 2.0. Tenderer of the Ministry of Culture for raising awareness about the archaeological sites that are declared Bien de Interés Cultural.
Tenderer of the service of the didactic cabinet of the Museum Mar de Galicia in Vigo since July 2017 to July 2019.
Design and implementation of didactic activities and customer service of the temporal exhibition of the Pergamino Vindel in the Museo del Mar de Galicia, 2017.
Design and organisation of the didactic workshops of the Children Hall of the Libro de Pontevedra (2015 and 2017)
Design and organisation of the didactic workshops of the CSIC. 2015, 2016, 2017 y 2018.
Implementation of the didactic workshops and guided visits in the Castro de Coaña for the Department of Culture of the Principality of Asturias within the framework of the project Educastro 2.0.
Tenderer of the implementation of the didactic workshops related to the Feria Franca 2018 in the Provincial Museum of Pontevedra. Provincial Council of Pontevedra
Tenderer of managing the didactic office of the archaeological centre of the Areal “ Salinae” 2017-2019. Museo del Mar de Galicia Foundation. Design and implementation of activities.
Design organisation and coordination of the guided visits “Noite Branca 2018” in the Art Gallery Francisco Fernández del Riego. Council of Vigo.
Design, organisation and coordination of the guided visits “Noite Branca 2018” in the Museum Verbum. Council of Vigo.
Design, organisation and coordination of the guided visits “Noite Branca 2018” in the Museum Quiñones de León. Council of Vigo.
Design and organisation of the guided visits for children (primary and secondary school) to the exhibition of Julio González. IVAM. Valencian Institute of
Modern Art (IVAM). Tenderer of the service of the school year 2018-2019.
Design and organisation of the guided visits for children (primary and secondary school) to the temporary exhibition: “1989. E. fin del siglo XX.) Valencian Institute of Modern Art (IVAM). Tenderer of the service for the academic year 2018-2019.
Design and organisation of the guided visits to the cave art of the Cultural Park Valltorta-Gasulla. Tenderer of the service 2019-2020 (Valencian
Government).
Design and organisation of the guided visits of the Museo Domus de Mitreo, Univerisidade de Santiago de Compostela. (Tenderer of the service
2019-2021).
Tenderer of the assembly and relocation of the exhibition “La llum de la Memòria”, 2019, Provincial Council of Castellón.