Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator is a new pilot scheme to support curatorial and leadership development for UK-based visual arts curators from low socio-economic backgrounds. Through a 12-month cohort-based learning and mentoring programme, curators will develop new networks, skills, and knowledge to enable them to lead and impact the future of the visual arts sector.
Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator is focused around eight two-day residential training and networking intensives taking place in various locations across the UK.
The Host organisations have now been confirmed as:
- Centre for Contemporary Art, Derry ~ Londonderry
- Dundee Contemporary Arts
- Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
- Peak Cymru
- Somerset House
- Turner Contemporary
- Yorkshire Sculpture International
Together, the organisations reflect the variety of scales, type, and locations of art organisations operating across the UK, and will offer the fellows access to a wide breadth of curatorial approaches.
Each Host organisation will be supported to create a programme of engagement for the Fellows, to introduce them to their work, networks, and communities. Across the 12-months this is complemented by an online programme of workshops and talks co-created with the Accelerator Fellows, alongside individual mentoring.
Hosts will also develop a network of organisations across the UK, committed to increased diversity in curatorial practice who will share research, knowledge, and ideas, to continue improving access to curatorial roles.
The programme will support ten early-career curators from low socio-economic backgrounds who have overcome barriers already to be working in the arts. There is no educational eligibility requirement, and we encourage both those with an independent or institutional employed curatorial practice as their main role, or those who curate as part of a second or freelance role they support by other employment. Accelerator Fellows will be selected by a focused nomination process and call for entries via Jerwood Arts and Host organisations networks.
Applications to be an Accelerator Fellow will open later this spring. For updates about Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator please sign up to our newsletter or you can contact Harriet Cooper, Head of Visual Arts with specific questions.
Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator is funded by Arts Council England and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation with support from Art Fund. It is part of Arts Council England’s Transforming Leadership Programme, through which Jerwood Arts is also delivering the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme and Alumni Fund 2020-22.
Find out more
Read the press release here.
Read about Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator here.
Read Arts Professional article on the Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator announcement here.
Sign up to our newsletter for future updates here.
Find out more about the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme here.
