New Mentoring Opportunity: Curator Bank

Access to curatorial support is challenging for many artists, particularly those located in more geographically isolated areas of the UK. A new initiative set up by Visual Arts South West (VASW) and The Burton at Bideford in North Devon aims to strengthen networks between artists and curators based in the South West region.

Curator Bank offers artists the opportunity to have one-to-one developmental meetings with curators working in arts organisations to talk through their work and ideas. Twenty-one organisations have signed up as partners on the project, donating a minimum of two days per year of their curator’s time.

Partners come from across the South West region and represent a wide range of organisations including Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange in Cornwall, Super Culture in North Somerset, Spike Island in Bristol, and b-side on the Isle of Portland.

The participating curators bring extensive experience working with exhibitions, engagement, education, public art, museums and young people. Artists will be able to identify a key focus for their session in order to be matched with curators who have relevant areas of interest and experience.

An open call for artists based in the South West to apply will run until 30 June 2025 and can be accessed here.

VASW has identified a lack of opportunities for mid-career artists in the South West and at a least 50% of spaces will be reserved for those who identify in this category. Allocations will then be made using random selection software.

“One of VASW's core aims is to connect and profile our community, and we're excited to launch this new initiative with The Burton at Bideford. Curator Bank will pool time, resources, knowledge and goodwill to address the need for support and opportunities for artists in the region. This sort of mentoring is critical for creative development, extending collaborative networks and opening doors for conversations that might not happen otherwise.”
Hannah Rose and Associate Director Lucy Badrocke say

“The Burton at Bideford is committed to supporting artist development and we are delighted to be collaborating with VASW to launch the Curator Bank. The South West is home to one of the largest concentrations of visual artists outside of London but spread across a vast geography. We know how challenging it can be for artists to access mentoring and support from organisations and hope that the Curator Bank will help to build vital new networks across the region.”
Harriet Cooper, Director of The Burton at Bideford

The pilot edition of Curator Bank sessions will run in Autumn 2025, followed by two further rounds in 2026.

Partner organisations for 2025 are Arnolfini, Art Centre Penryn, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, b-side, Exeter Phoenix, Ginkgo Projects, Harbour House, John Hansard Gallery, Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, Plymouth Culture, Rame Projects, Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Royal West of England Academy, Spike Island, Studio KIND, Super Culture, Tate St Ives, The Burton at Bideford, The Holburne, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, The Sherborne and Watershed.

Guest curator for 2025 is Gilly Fox, curator at Hayward Touring, board member of the Stuart Croft Foundation and chair of Film and Video Umbrella (FVU).

Curator Bank is initiated by VASW and The Burton at Bideford, building on an idea by Gilly Fox. The initiative is managed by VASW with in-kind support from partner organisations.