Mentoring Opportunity: Curator Bank
A new initiative to support artists living in the South West through mentoring and one-to-one support
Curator Bank offers artists one-to-one meetings with the people who build exhibition programmes, commission new work, acquire for collections and champion emerging voices. It aims to support individual artist development while strengthening networks between artists and curators across the South West.
Participating curators represent major visual arts organisations in the South West - from experimental spaces to national collections. They represent a range of experience such as working with exhibitions, engagement, education, public art, museums and young people. In every open call round there will also be a guest curator from outside of the South West region.
Curators 2025
- Gemma Brace, Arnolfini
- Keiko Higashi, Arnolfini
- Megan Beck, Art Centre Penryn
- Julia Carver, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
- Steve Bradley, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
- Rocca Holly-Nambi, b-side
- Harriet Cooper, The Burton at Bideford
- Warren Collum, The Burton at Bideford
- Abi Obene, The Burton at Bideford
- Matt Burrows, Exeter Phoenix
- Sophie Scott, Ginkgo Projects
- Tom Littlewood, Ginkgo Projects
- Amy Dickson, Harbour House
- Beth Richards, Harbour House
- Ros Carter, John Hansard Gallery
- Lynne Dick, John Hansard Gallery
- Eleanor Hutchison, The Holburne
- Cat Gibbard, Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange
- Rob Bowman, Plymouth Culture
- Lara Goodband, Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
- Kathryn Johnson, Royal West of England Academy (RWA)
- Liz Gilmore, The Sherborne
- Nicole Yip, Spike Island
- Saphia Venner, Spike Island
- Diana Lage, Spike Island
- Clémentine Proby, Spike Island
- George Densley, Super Culture
- Fiona Matthews, Super Culture
- Laura Porter, Studio KIND
- Melissa Hinkin, Tate St Ives
- Dara McElligott, Tate St Ives
- Georgina Kennedy, Tate St Ives
- Jenny Tipton, Tate St Ives
- Gemma Girvan, Thelma Hulbert Gallery
- Amy Rose, Watershed
Guest curator 2025: Gilly Fox, Hayward Touring, board member of the Stuart Croft Foundation and chair of trustees for Film and Video Umbrella
Application
You can apply for the Curator Bank opportunity via this short form.
If you would like the form as a word document, please email info@vasw.org.uk. We also accept video submissions.
Deadline for submission: 30 June 2025
Selection
There is no competitive selection, after an initial process to match people with similar areas of interest, we use randomised software to ensure equal access. VASW has identified a lack of opportunities for mid-career artists in the South West and at least 50% of spaces will be allocated to those who identify themselves in this category.
Selected artists will be offered a 1.5 hour one-to-one online meeting with a mentor. VASW will introduce artists and mentors over email so they can arrange a meeting, which will take place online or in person depending on the location of the two people meeting. Please note, there is no budget for travel so people are only encouraged to meet if they live/work in the same place.
Not matched this time? You can choose to automatically be considered for the next round of Curator Bank or be connected with another artist for peer exchange
Eligibility
Curator Bank is an initiative to support visual artists living in the South West.
Visual arts practice crosses many disciplines - performance, installation, painting, sound, sculpture - often with relationships to other creative fields (theatre, music, film etc). This opportunity is for artists that primarily categorise their work as contemporary visual arts. If your work is defined more distinctively within other forms of creative practice (theatre, circus, craft for example), then this is not the right opportunity.
Curator Bank is initiated by VASW and The Burton at Bideford, building on an idea by Gilly Fox. It has been made possible by the generosity of curators and partners across the South West, who have committed time in kind for one-to-one meetings with artists.
Arnolfini, Arts Centre Penryn, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, b-side, The Burton at Bideford, Exeter Phoenix, Ginkgo Projects, Harbour House, The Holburne Museum, John Hansard Gallery, Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, Plymouth Culture, Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Spike Island, Studio KIND, Super Culture, Tate St Ives, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, The Sherborne and Watershed.