Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Gasworks

Organisation: Gasworks / Upė Foundation
Location: London, UK
Salary: £32,000 per annum
Contract: Full-time, fixed-term, 12 months with possible six-month extension (April 2027–September 2028)
Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 am–6 pm
Application deadline: 9 November 2026, 1 pm (UK time)

Gasworks and Upė Foundation invite applications for the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship, a full-time paid position embedded within Gasworks’ curatorial team.

Conceived as a professional development opportunity for an early-career curator with a connection to the Baltic region, the Fellowship offers sustained experience across Gasworks’ exhibitions, residencies, public programmes and wider artistic activity.

Working closely with Gasworks’ Curator and Assistant Curator, the Fellow will contribute to the coordination and delivery of Gasworks’ artistic programme and collaborate across the organisation with artists, partners, external contributors and freelancers.

A particular focus of the Fellowship will be supporting the artist selected through the parallel Upė Foundation open call. The Fellow will work closely with the selected artist during their 2027 residency and contribute to the research, development, production and logistics of their subsequent solo exhibition at Gasworks in 2028.

About the Fellowship

This new role is part of a multi-year partnership between Gasworks and Upė Foundation supporting emerging artists and curators connected to the Baltic region (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) and their diasporas.

The partnership also includes a fully funded artist residency in London, followed by a solo exhibition at Gasworks in 2028.

Throughout the Fellowship, regular meetings with Upė will be held, and the Fellow is expected to engage with research, travel and networking supported through Upė’s programme and with their wider fellow cohort.

The Fellowship is initially for 12 months, with the possibility of a six-month extension subject to a formal review and agreement between Gasworks and Upė Foundation.

Key responsibilities

The Fellow will work across Gasworks’ exhibitions, residencies, fundraising, communications and wider artistic programme. Responsibilities include:

• Providing administrative, organisational and practical support for exhibitions and commissions, including loans, transport, insurance, condition reports and documentation.
• Supporting exhibition budgets, researching funding opportunities and contributing to applications and reporting.
• Drafting exhibition texts and interpretation materials, and supporting talks, tours and public programmes.
• Providing practical assistance and pastoral care to residency artists, including coordinating travel, visas, accommodation and access to research resources.
• Supporting residency open calls, selection processes, Open Studios events and other residency activities.
• Working closely with the Upė Foundation residency and exhibiting artist, bringing specialist knowledge of Baltic and broader Central Eastern European artistic contexts.
• Supporting fundraising activities, maintaining relationships with funders and contributing to audience development and communications.
• Maintaining administrative records and contributing to the day-to-day operations of Gasworks.

Professional development opportunities

Through the Fellowship, the successful candidate will benefit from:

• Structured professional development within Gasworks’ Programmes team
• Experience contributing to exhibitions, commissions, residencies, public programmes and events
• Opportunities to contribute Baltic and broader Central Eastern European research perspectives to Gasworks’ curatorial discussions
• Opportunities to build professional networks in London, the UK and internationally
• A dynamic working environment within a leading international contemporary arts organisation

Eligibility and requirements

Applicants must demonstrate a connection to, or sustained engagement with, the Baltic region (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) or their diasporas. This may include lived experience, heritage, working knowledge of a Baltic language, relevant research, or curatorial work with Baltic artists, institutions or contexts.

Essential requirements include:

• Experience of exhibition administration, including logistics, installations and de-installations, managing loans, transport, insurance and condition-checking
• Experience of directly supporting artists
• Excellent communication skills and strong attention to detail
• Ability to multitask, delegate and prioritise within a busy working environment
• Experience of tracking and reconciling project budgets and organising events
• Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator
• Knowledge or keen interest in contemporary visual arts
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a small team

Desirable experience includes working in a small-scale arts organisation, setting up audiovisual equipment, using SketchUp or CRM systems, and contributing to exhibition texts.

Working knowledge of Lithuanian, Latvian or Estonian is desirable, but not essential.

Salary, benefits and relocation support

The Fellowship offers a salary of £32,000 per annum, alongside:

• 25 days of annual leave plus UK public holidays, pro rata
• Employer pension contribution of 5% of eligible salary
• Use of the Gallery’s ICOM membership card, providing free entry to a range of arts organisations
• UK travel and networking opportunities
• Training and mentoring opportunities
• Discounts on Gasworks’ limited-edition prints

Gasworks will consider visa sponsorship for the fixed-term Fellowship where required, with visa-related costs covered by Upė Foundation, subject to individual circumstances.

For candidates relocating for the Fellowship, Gasworks will cover return flights at the beginning and end of the contract, up to £250, subject to individual circumstances.

Some evening and weekend work will be required, compensated by time off in lieu.

Application process

Applicants should review the full job description and complete the application form available on the Gasworks website.

The selection process includes a completed application form and two rounds of panel interviews.

Gasworks welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds and particularly encourages applications from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates, and disabled candidates, who are currently under-represented in employment within the visual arts.