Natasha Billson
Archaeologist and TV presenter
Public History, 2024
Award-winning archaeologist, presenter, filmmaker, and content creator Natasha Billson worked in the heritage sector for over a decade before starting her MA in Public History at St Mary’s. As she started taking on more public history projects in her work, Natasha started looking at postgraduate programmes in the field to expand her knowledge. Natasha has featured in a number of TV shows including Channel 4’s The Great British Dig.
“St Mary’s actually prepares students for the future."
Digging to the future
Natasha graduated from the Public History MA at St Mary’s in 2024, having already done an undergraduate degree in Archaeology. Her interest in archaeology began when she was 7 years old and read a book about Tutankhamun. She looked up the word archaeology for the first time, and knew that was what she wanted to do.
Staying true to her word, Natasha graduated in 2013 and spent the next ten years working as a full-time archaeologist in the heritage sector. It was at this point that Natasha noticed she was starting to do more towards public history projects, and wanted to have a better understanding of modern history. As she didn’t have a history background, she felt like she was looking from an archaeological lens and started to feel a bit of imposter syndrome.
She decided to start looking at options for a master’s degree, wanting to find something that would push her and make her think a bit more outside of the box. What sold St Mary’s to Natasha was the strong coursework focus of the degree, and the opportunities to get involved in creative projects
“St Mary’s has given me the confidence to explore historical narratives more, especially now in an age where we are challenging perceptions of what history is.”
Sharing her experience on the course, Natasha says what she enjoyed the most was the small class sizes which focused on student experience. She felt that her lecturers knew how to engage with students and push them to the limit, while also providing a space where students could challenge them on points.
As a mature student, Natasha found that she felt accepted straight away and was very fortunate to be part of a great cohort. She adds that coming to St Mary’s has shown her that learning experience is defined not just by the lecturers, but by the students and the environment that you’re in.
“I knew that I had that space to engage with my lecturers completely. They have this open door policy where you really do feel like they're there to help you.”
Looking beyond the master’s, Natasha shares that she now feels more confident to explore historical narratives, especially in an age where people are now challenging perceptions of what history is, what it means to people, and how it’s taught in schools.
She adds that she has also gained new research skills, honing in on being able to understand academic papers and journals, which will help her in the future when it comes to new history projects.
One of Natasha’s other passions is public engagement; getting individuals involved in the past through various avenues like social media, YouTube live streams, podcasts, as well as TV shows and radio programmes. She is also a business owner and has her own media company, working predominantly with museums and heritage organisations to help them engage with the public.
“I hope to carry my media work on with the additional historical perspective I have gained from St Mary’s. I really do feel like I'm able to bring more to the table to help advise and consult.”
An exciting project that Natasha has started working on is a new TV show exploring family history and genealogy. Natasha will be presenting Relative Secrets with actress Jane Seymour. The show is part true-crime and part genealogy, and delves into different family histories to discover the dark truths buried in their bloodlines.
Natasha shares that St Mary’s played a big part in her securing the role, as she was studying the theories and the historians who deal with family history and genealogy as part of the course.
“I’ve now been able to apply the knowledge in my new role. As it’s a family history show, everything I've learned from St Mary's has directly impacted my contribution to this new project which I'm so grateful for.”
