Curator
Location: London Barbican Centre
Salary: £46,050 – £51,350 (including London Weighting) per annum depending on experience/performance
Contractual hours: 35
Basis: Full time, Permanent
Closing date: 17 June 2024
About Barbican
The Barbican is a unique, dynamic Arts and Learning Centre that presents artistic experiences with collaborators across music, theatre, dance, visual arts and cinema that variously entertain, enable, enrich, and enlighten our many audiences. Our aim is to be a 21st century international Arts Centre that champions equity, diversity, and inclusion, and explores new approaches to arts, education, and enterprise.
Job Summary
These two curatorial positions will play a critical role in further consolidating the Barbican Visual Arts reputation as a leading international venue for the presentation of visionary exhibitions and path breaking commissions that rethink art historical narratives and explore pivotal contemporary issues and themes. The curators will contribute to an inter-disciplinary programme that encompasses contemporary and modern art, fashion, design, architecture, performance, film and photography.
They will lead and co-ordinate project teams for the development, creative planning and realisation of exhibitions, public art commissions and events that align with the overall artistic programme, strategic framework and purpose and values of the Barbican Centre.
Each curator should develop new and creative approaches to the making of exhibitions, and demonstrate innovative and unexpected ways to working with architecture and public space. They will work collaboratively and manage relationships with a wide range of stakeholders- in order to realise exhibitions and commissions for the Barbican which would involve mobilizing support through fundraising and building relationships and international institutional partnerships to promote the Gallery’s partnership and touring exhibitions abroad.
Essential requirements:
- Post graduate degree or equivalent knowledge and experience in arts-related discipline, preferably art history, design/architecture history, art theory or cultural studies.
- An excellent knowledge of 20th and 21st century contemporary and modern art
- Knowledge and experience in curating large loan-based exhibitions with an internationally recognized track record
- Significant experience working with living artists and having delivered public art commissions.
- Good publishing track record
- Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams including freelance and contractors delivering complex productions.
- Financial acumen with a proven history of fundraising, managing large budgets and delivering financial returns on investment
- A strong international network
You must be able to demonstrate:
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to consult with, and negotiate complex contracts including hire agreements, loans from artists, collectors, galleries, and museums.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to create mutually beneficial
- Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively across teams and sectors to achieve positive outcomes.
- Ability to undertake detailed research.
- Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy with collaborators and stakeholders.
- Ability to communicate clearly with varied audiences.
The ability to work to tight deadlines and maintain a calm, ordered approach.
Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively across boundaries to achieve positive outcomes.
This is a full-time, permanent position based in The Barbican, with the possibility to work 2 days remotely. The Barbican is a values-based organisation and welcome applications from all backgrounds and sectors. Equity, diversity and inclusion is at the forefront of our strategy. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements where possible, and all workplace attendance requirements are based on the role to provide employees with an agreed working pattern to enable them to plan in the longer term and therefore provide a good work/home life balance.
For a confidential discussion, please contact Katrina Crookall at katrina.crookall@barbican.org.uk
How to apply
To apply online, please click on the apply button below.
To be considered for this role please submit your application by 23:55 Monday 17 June 2024.
For more information, please see www.barbican.org.uk/careers
Interviews likely to be held week starting week commencing the 24th of June 2024
As part of our commitment to increasing the diversity of staff within the Barbican we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from groups that are currently underrepresented, including people from the Global Majority* and D/deaf and disabled people. We want to better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We are members of the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who would like to be considered under this scheme and who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. If you are a disabled person and need adjustments to the application process please contact us.
*Global Majority is a collective term that refers to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or, have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.