(This open call has now closed.)
The British Council is delighted to announce the opportunity for a mid-career curator to collaborate with British artist Sonia Boyce OBE RA on the development of her Commission for the 59th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, opening in Venice in April 2022.
The Shane Akeroyd Associate Curator will be given the opportunity to not only participate in creative conversations with the artist, acting as a sounding board but will also write and speak about her work to an international audience. This role provides a unique platform for a curator with experience of commissioning new work and writing for a variety of audiences to take the next step in their career. They will represent Britain and the British Council through participation in an exceptional exhibition and its associated programme.
This opportunity is offered to contemporary visual arts curatorial professionals who are either independent or are working in or affiliated with organisations in the arts and creative sectors. You must be able to demonstrate strong curatorial experience but should also be at a stage in your career where you still have more to learn. Experience of commissioning new work and working alongside artists as they develop their ideas, is essential. You will be supported by experienced members of British Council staff in your relationship with the Artist, the Biennale, other stakeholders and the media. Media training will be offered as part of the programme
Curating the 2019 British Pavilion was so much more than a career highlight; I hadn't even imagined it was even a possibility before the open call. To work on the largest and longest-running international stage for contemporary art is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand how art functions cross-culturally. It's made possible so many new relationships and ongoing collaborations, and provided many memorable lessons in cultural diplomacy. The Shane Akeroyd Associate Curator will get to work in one of the world's most beautiful cities, with one of the world's great artists, Sonia Boyce. It's an opportunity worth seizing.
Dr. Zoé Whitley, Curator of the British Pavilion 2019
This role is not a full-time appointment and we anticipate that it will require an overall commitment of approximately 35 days starting in January 2021 and ending in November 2022 when the exhibition closes in Venice. A fee of £12,500 is offered for the role.
In the event that Covid-19 continues to affect working environments, international travel and/or exhibition making, you will need to work flexibly, remotely and digitally as required to support the artist and the British Council Venice team to adapt the exhibition and its related programmes to the prevailing conditions at the time.
Please see the open call document at the bottom of this page.
We particularly welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the Visual Arts sector.
Submissions must be received by 23:59 UK time on Sunday 27 September 2020
