Artist Curator Traineeship

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Institution: Eastside Projects
Location: United Kingdom
Contract: Fixed-term, 18-month traineeship
Hours: 30 hours per week (0.9 FTE) plus 3.75 hours weekly research time
Salary: Real Living Wage – currently £13.45 per hour (£23,605 per annum)
Deadline: 21 August 2026 (midnight)
Start Date: 3 November 2026

About the Traineeship

Eastside Projects is inviting applications for its Artist Curator Traineeship, an 18-month paid opportunity designed for emerging artists and artist-curators who want to develop a career in curating through practical, hands-on experience.

The traineeship offers an immersive introduction to artist-led curatorial practice, combining professional experience with dedicated research time. Working as part of the Eastside Projects team, the successful candidate will gain experience across exhibitions, public programmes, artist development, education, communications, and organisational operations while developing their own independent curatorial project.

This opportunity is particularly suited to artists interested in establishing future exhibitions, artist-led initiatives, support structures, or cultural organisations. Rather than focusing solely on academic qualifications, Eastside Projects is looking for applicants who have already demonstrated initiative by organising exhibitions, events, community projects, or other creative activities outside formal education.

Key Responsibilities

Support the delivery of exhibitions, commissions, and public programmes.
Assist with exhibition installation and de-installation.
Contribute to artist projects and collaborative initiatives.
Help organise workshops, educational activities, and community engagement programmes.
Assist with communications, social media, and website content.
Provide administrative support across organisational activities.
Support events such as EOP Crit Club and artist-led programmes.
Develop an independent research and curatorial project using the allocated weekly research time.

Who Should Apply?

The traineeship is intended for emerging artists or artist-curators who are passionate about contemporary visual art and eager to build a career in curating through practical experience. Applicants should already be independently organising creative activities, whether exhibitions, artist-led initiatives, community projects, or other forms of cultural programming.

Eastside Projects welcomes applicants from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. A university degree is not required, provided applicants can demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience through independent practice, apprenticeships, work experience, or self-initiated projects.

Requirements

Be an artist or artist-curator interested in developing a curatorial practice.
Demonstrate a strong interest in contemporary visual art.
Have experience organising creative projects outside formal education.
Be comfortable working across multiple projects simultaneously.
Show initiative, creativity, and strong problem-solving skills.
Enjoy collaborative working and practical, hands-on tasks.
Possess strong communication and organisational abilities.
Be at least 18 years of age.
Have the legal right to work in the UK for the full duration of the contract.
Have at least one year of experience outside an educational setting.
Not be enrolled in full-time or part-time education during the traineeship.

What Eastside Projects Offers

18-month paid traineeship with structured professional development.
Dedicated weekly research time to develop an independent project.
Hands-on experience across exhibitions, education, communications, and public programming.
Close collaboration with artists, curators, and cultural practitioners.
Experience within one of the UK’s leading artist-led contemporary art organisations.
Opportunity to build practical curatorial, organisational, and project management skills.