Emerging Curator Fellowship at South London Gallery

The origins of the South London Gallery lie in the South London Working Men's College, established by William Rossiter in 1868, which evolved into a Free Library and Art Gallery. In 1891, the South London Fine Art Gallery opened at its current location on Peckham Road. The permanent site was partly secured thanks to fundraising by the Gallery's influential Council, which included Sir Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, G. F. Watts, and Walter Crane. With the appointment of David Thorp as Director in 1992, the Gallery came to be known as the South London Gallery, with a programme focused on contemporary art and showing work by internationally acclaimed artists such as Gilbert & George, Anselm Kiefer, and Sherrie Levine, as well as new, emerging artists such as Tracey Emin, Gavin Turk, and Ann Sofi-Sidén. In 2003, the SLG separated from Southwark Council to become an independent charitable trust managed by a Board of Trustees. Today the gallery comprises its original site at 65 Peckham Road, the Fire Station at 82 Peckham Road (opened 2018), Art Block — a space for local children and families on Sceaux Gardens estate — and two permanent gardens. The South London Gallery is free and open Tuesday to Sunday, presenting contemporary art exhibitions, events, and education projects for children, young people, and adults. At the heart of the SLG's mission is providing opportunities for learning and participation, with communities and learning programmes that have evolved through long‑term partnerships with local schools, Social Services, NHS providers, and community groups.

The South London Gallery is hosting the 2026 iteration of the Deutsche Bank x Frieze Emerging Curators Fellowship, a programme established in 2020 to address the significant lack of diversity in curatorial practice in the UK — the area of arts and heritage with the lowest proportion of Black and global majority professionals. The Emerging Curator Fellow will undertake a 15‑month, full‑time, trainee‑level placement at the South London Gallery, gaining comprehensive experience across all aspects of exhibitions and events work in a public institution, including research, programming, delivery, and archiving. The Fellow will support the work of the Programme Team and Director through administrative assistance while also receiving mentoring, dedicated time for curatorial research, and access to professional networks. This fellowship is specifically designed to support Black and global majority heritage curators. It is a paid, full‑time position with structured professional development, making it a significant entry‑point opportunity for emerging curators from underrepresented backgrounds seeking sustained institutional experience in a leading contemporary art context.

The Role Overview

• Position Type: Full‑time (35 hours per week)
• Contract Type: Fixed‑term — 15 months
• Reports To: Head of Programme
• Working Hours: 35 hours per week; evening and weekend availability required (TOIL given)
• Work Model: On‑site at South London Gallery, London
• Salary Progression: Appointments are made at the start of the salary scale, with annual pay progression based on satisfactory performance; pay scale reviewed annually in light of cost of living and operational budgets

Position & Tasks

• Exhibitions & Curatorial Work
  • Support exhibition development, research, and delivery of temporary exhibitions
  • Assist in coordinating artists, curators, and production teams
  • Contribute to exhibition interpretation and written materials
  • Support installation processes, including condition reporting and gallery checks
  • Assist in production coordination with technical and registrar teams
• Events & Public Programming
  • Research and deliver exhibition tours and public talks
  • Assist in planning and delivering public events and programming
  • Support guest coordination, logistics, and audience engagement
  • Contribute to the communication and documentation of events
• Archive & Digital Work
  • Assist with archive management and access systems
  • Update digital exhibition records and website content
  • Support image rights management and archival documentation
  • Collaborate on digital storytelling and archival research projects
• Administration
  • Support financial administration and invoice processing
  • Assist with scheduling, diaries, and internal coordination
  • Track sector exhibitions and institutional programming
  • Support reporting and internal documentation processes

Application Requirements

• Completed application forms (downloaded from the SLG website)
• CV
• Equal opportunities monitoring form (online submission)

The fellowship culminates in the development of a public activation supported by Frieze London, offering the Fellow an opportunity to realise an independent curatorial project within a major international art fair context. After interviews, where candidates are of equal merit, the SLG may select a candidate from a group underrepresented within its workforce. If queries arise about the process or role, contact recruitment@southlondongallery.org.

Note: Applicants should verify the correct date at southlondongallery.org/jobs before submitting.