Curatorial Fellowship (Ceramics)

Thanks to the generous support of The Headley Trust, we are delighted to establish this new Curatorial Fellowship in Ceramics — the first of two Fellowships for early-career curators that will be delivered over the next three years. This represents an investment both in our collections and the people who will shape their future, creating new opportunities for research, interpretation and public engagement.

This Fellowship is far more than a fixed-term curatorial post. It has been designed to combine meaningful responsibility with genuine professional development at a time when specialist curatorial roles are increasingly rare. During their time with us, the Fellow will lead our 2027 Ceramics Artist in Residence programme, contribute to the redisplay of our ceramics gallery, co-curate a new display exploring ceramics and transatlantic trade in Bideford, undertake original research and produce a small publication about our ceramics collections.

Job Details

Job Title: Curatorial Fellow (Ceramics)
Contract: Full-time (37.5 hours per week) or part-time options considered
Duration: 12-month fixed-term Fellowship (or up to 18-months part-time, subject to a three-month probationary period)
Salary: £30,000 per annum (pro rata if part-time)
Hours: The Burton works on a seven-day rota and hours can be worked flexibly over the full week depending on operational need. Some weekend and evening work will be required on a rota basis.
Location: The Burton at Bideford, EX39 2QQ. Occasional flexible/home-working is offered but the majority of the working week will be at The Burton.
Responsible to: Exhibitions & Collections Manager
Working closely with: Director, Curatorial Coordinator

The Fellowship includes dedicated mentoring from the Director and Exhibitions & Collections Manager; a £1,500 research, travel and mentoring budget; and a £2,500 budget to support the production of a public-facing Fellowship outcome.

If required, a small relocation allowance is offered to support the Fellow to move to the area.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Curious and motivated by collections, research and contemporary practice.
• Confident taking ownership of projects while working collaboratively.
• Adaptable and happy to balance research with practical delivery.
• Excited to work in a small organisation where everyone gets stuck in.
• Motivated by the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to The Burton's collections.

Key Dates

Application deadline: 10am, Wednesday 9 September
Interviews: Wednesday 23 September

How to Apply

Please download the full Recruitment Pack and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.