BALTIC’s Curatorial Fellowship is supported by the Frieze x Deutsche Bank Emerging Curators Fellowship. It is a full-time, paid traineeship, open to applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of colour and other people who experience racism, currently under-represented in the visual arts sector.
This traineeship opportunity is designed to enable a young curator to gain the experience necessary to secure permanent employment within the arts sector. The aim of the fellowship is to enable an individual to forge a long-term pathway as a curator in the visual arts.
This opportunity will sit at the intersection of curatorial and learning practice at BALTIC. The Curatorial Fellow will join BALTIC’s team as part of the Centre for Public Practice (CPP) – BALTIC’s holistic team that brings together learning, visitor services, curatorial and production.
In 2021, BALTIC launches its Resilience, Reset and Recovery plan including a collaborative programme developed by the CPP. This programme seeks to reimagine how we work in response to the extreme times we are living. It aims to connect local concerns with national and international art and artists, whilst championing our constituents as agents of change, through dynamic and reciprocal conversations and democratic actions.
This fellowship will work across both exhibitions and collaborative artists projects, offering an opportunity to gain significant experience across a wide range of projects, including major artists’ commissions to be presented in BALTIC’s ground floor gallery, an Artists Development Programme for North East-based artists, and projects conceived by artists and other collaborators to enhance the capacity for people in our city to affect change through a programme of participatory democracy rooted in our neighbouring communities.
About BALTIC
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead is an international art gallery established in 1998. BALTIC’s admission is free and we are visited by people from the North East, the UK and overseas.
Our mission is to create greater understanding of the world through outstanding, experimental and inspiring contemporary art which has power, relevance and meaning for individuals and communities. We value inclusion, empathy and encouragement, we provide opportunity, inspiration and surprise.
Our programme of exhibitions and activities aims to expose and explore new ideas and fresh perspectives, triggering multiple points of view that are enriched through shared dialogue and alternative ways of seeing. This has the capacity to break down barriers, supporting individuals and communities to better understand and value each other at a local, national and international level.
Job Description
To support the development, coordination and delivery of:
° BALTIC’s 2021 and 2022 Ground Floor Annual Commissions.
° BALTIC’s Artists Development Programme to support the professional development of North East- based artists at all career stages.
° BALTIC’s Artists’ Residency Programme.
° The Foundation Club Collective Mentoring Programme (for 13–19-year olds).
° The Propagate Programme that supports people in Gateshead and Newcastle’s marginalised communities to become cultural producers in their own right.
° The Skills-Match Programme, which aims to exchange the skills, experiences, facilities and technology afforded to BALTIC with people living in Gateshead and Newcastle.
° The Programme of Participatory Democracy aimed at expanding BALTIC’s role as a civic space and community connector.
Main tasks
° Research artists for BALTIC’s 2022 Ground Floor Annual Commission
° Researching speakers and facilitators for the Artists Development Programme events, opportunities and courses
° Liaising with artists, speakers, facilitators and other external partners
° Supporting technical and logistical requirements of projects as required
° Writing copy for open calls, website, and interpretive materials
° Processing invoices and updating project budgets
° Providing support to curators and producers on outputs of projects
° Undertaking initial research on fundraising bids with the Head of Curatorial and Public Practice and the Head of Learning and Civic Engagement
Person Specification
° A genuine interest in the visual arts and BALTIC’s programme, with a desire to develop a career as a curator
° A positive and flexible approach to work
° Excellent communication skills (verbal and written), with the ability to build relationships with a range of people at different levels of the organisation, as well as external partners and constituents
° Excellent attention to detail
° Able to work as part of a team as well as on your own, with a pro-active and independent outlook
° Good computer skills – proficient use of Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and internet search engines
° Ability to manage multiple priorities and work calmly under pressure and to a deadline ° Good time management, planning and coordination skills
° A willingness to learn and get involved in a variety of tasks
° Previous office experience preferred but not essential
Qualifications
° Undergraduate degree in Art, Art History or related subjects (e.g. Film Studies), or demonstrable equivalent qualification/experience
How to apply
To apply, please complete the application form on Submittable by Monday 31 May, 23:59 BST. You can apply by uploading video or audio formats if you wish.
You will need to prepare and upload statement – in written form (maximum 1,000 words) or a 6 min sound or video recording, which answers the following questions:
° Describe a memorable artwork or art experience and what made it so? The art form is entirely up to you. You might describe the artwork itself but we are mostly interested in your response to it/ feelings about it.
° Why do you want to work in the visual arts?
° Why is it important for you to gain experience at BALTIC, an art gallery based in the North East of England?
° What do you envision you need from your workplace so that you can thrive and make your best contributions?
° What do you hope the fellowship will help you achieve?
Further to BALTIC’s Equal Opportunities Statement (download here), your personal details from the Submittable form and your responses to the Equality Monitoring Questionnaire will not be seen by the shortlisting panel. This means we can make the selection based only on how the fellowship will benefit your practice.
