Skills Development: Curatorial Courses, Grants and Networks
As part of its advocacy for the value of curatorial work, the Curatorial Committee of the Association for Art History aims to help support the professional development of art curators and museum professionals.
Responding to the interest in this expressed by curators in a recent survey, we have gathered below information about courses, grants and networks available to art curators.
We recognise that few museums can provide a full range of training opportunities and hope that the following lists will help curators at all stages in their careers to develop their professional skills.
1. Courses
Clore leadership run courses for leaders in the arts. In addition to their long-running one-year fellowship, and Emerging Leaders course, they also run several other courses on themes such as developing partnerships, international partnerships, inclusive cultures, and leading change.
A platform for international contemporary art curators, this website lists job vacancies and select courses as well as grants/fellowship opportunities worldwide.
An e-learning program based in Berlin for curators and art professionals worldwide, featuring courses on grant application writing, exhibition design, public programming, financial literacy etc.
The V&A runs a programme of online and in-person professional development courses for curators and museum professionals on themes such as ‘curating now’, courier training, art handling, interpretation and developing audiences as well as courses on areas of subject expertise such as ‘curating fashion and dress.’
2. Grants for Research and Travel
Art Fund, Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grants
Jonathan Ruffer curatorial grants support UK curators, museum professionals and researchers to undertake travel and other activities that extend and develop their curatorial expertise, collections-based knowledge and art historical interests.
Art Fund, New Collecting Award
This award is given yearly to UK-based curators. It provides each curator with a budget for acquisitions alongside funding for research, travel and training, as well as mentoring support.
The AAH offers grants of up to £1,000 which provide support to scholarly research or to develop professional practice. This includes participation in museum and gallery training programmes in curatorial and public engagement areas.
A Platform for international contemporary art curators, this website lists job vacancies and select courses as well as grants/fellowship opportunities worldwide.
Getty is a cultural and philanthropic institution in Los Angeles, dedicated to the presentation, conservation, and interpretation of art. It provides a wide range of research grant programs for individual curators and organisations. The Paper Project initiative, for example, focused on training and professional development for early- to mid-career curators of prints and drawings.
IFPDA Foundation Curatorial Travel Grant
The IFPDA Foundation Curatorial Travel Grant Program provides funding for institutionally based print curators to attend the IFPDA Print Fair held in New York City.
Ishibashi Foundation / Japan Foundation Fellowship for Research on Japanese Art
This programme aims to support the development of professionals specialising in the study of Japanese visual arts by providing an opportunity for curators and researchers to conduct research in Japan.
Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Part of the Paul Mellon Centre, the British Art Network (BAN) provides bursaries to support research groups, an emerging curators group, etc.
Phileas: The Austrian Office for Contemporary Art
Phileas supports artists, curators, galleries and institutions in Austria and works to strengthen their presence on the international landscape of contemporary art. It also runs a year-round Visitor Programme that invites international curators, art critics and museum groups to Austria to discover artists’ studios, galleries, museums and artist-run spaces.
The Rencontres d’Arles Curatorial Research Fellowship
This fellowship is open to curators worldwide wishing to carry out an original photography project.
3. Networks and email lists
International, non-commercial communication and information network founded in Germany in 2001. This email list publishes discipline-specific, professional news, including job vacancies, from all fields of art history.
British Association for Victorian Studies
Founded in 2000, this multidisciplinary organisation (with over 600 members) is dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge about the Victorian period.
International network of curators of Dutch and Flemish art with over 600 curators in around fifty countries.
Publishing platform and archive, artist project, curatorial platform, and email list for modern and contemporary art.
Independent Curators International
International network and framework that offers collaborative programs to connect curators, artists, and audiences from diverse backgrounds.
Founded by artists and curators in 2007 in London to offer a programme of commissions, exhibitions, projects, publications and events.
JAHF (Japan Art History Forum)
Affiliated with the College Art Association and the Association for Asian Studies in the US. Membership is open to anyone worldwide (currently 450+ members) with a scholarly interest in the study of Japanese art history, visual and material culture.
An online platform that aims to connect independent artists and curators with alternative project spaces and venues across the globe, with a focus on local partners in sub-Saharan Africa.
Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Supports and hosts three networks for researchers, curators and practitioners in the field of British art studies: British Art Network (BAN), Early Career Researchers Network, and Doctoral Researchers Network. BAN provides bursaries to support research groups, an emerging curators group, etc. (https://www.britishartnetwork.org.uk).
Founded in 2015 in the US, the Photography Network fosters discussion, research and new approaches to the study and practice of photography in relation to art, culture, society and history.
Help us grow these listings
We recognised that the lists below are not complete and will constantly evolve. University education, internship and volunteering opportunities are not included. Please help us by getting in touch if you know of additional opportunities or links that need updating.