Curating Beyond Exhibitions: Events, Performances, Talks

While exhibitions remain one of the most common formats to present art, curators increasingly work through a wider range of public activities such as experimental workshops, performances, and participatory events. In this course, we will experiment with formats that extend the possibilities of curatorial practice.

Taking a practical focus, you will be equipped with the tools to conceptualize and produce a curatorial project from start to finish. Through case studies, short lectures and in-class brainstorming sessions, we will rethink curating as a form of cultural mediation that operates beyond objects, spaces, and conventional exhibition structures. We will also learn from challenges, like where collaborations can go wrong and how to deal with unexpected production issues.

By the end, you will be able to develop proposals for non-traditional curatorial projects including interactive programs, and co-creative productions.

Over five weeks, you will learn how to:

• Conceptualize a variety of curatorial formats (screenings, talks, concerts, performances, workshops)
• Align your project’s aim with its creative outcome
• Work with collaborators and community partners
• Manage the logistics of curatorial events and public programs
• Communicate the curatorial project to various stakeholders (funders, audiences, partners)
• Evaluate the success of your project

This course is for emerging arts professionals who work across formats and sites or who are interested in learning how to curate event-based projects. No prior experience is necessary, but an appreciation for non-traditional arts experiences is a plus.

Image credits: ArtistAmyKarle1, CC BY-SA 4.0