Mentoring Opportunity: Curator Bank
An initiative to support artists living in the South West through mentoring and one-to-one support.
Curator Bank offers opportunities for one-to-one meetings to talk through work and ideas with curators based in organisations. It aims to support individual artist development while also strengthening networks between artists and curators across the South West region.
Participating curators represent a range of experience such as working with exhibitions, engagement, education, public art and museums. Partner organisations donate a number of days of their curator's time 'in-kind' to the Curator Bank each year. In every open call round there will also be a guest curator from outside of the South West region.
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.
Curator Bank Curators 2026
- Gemma Brace, Head of Exhibitions, Arnolfini
- Maya Brasington, Acting Curator, Aspex
- Julia Carver, Curator, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
- Rocca Holly-Nambi, Director, b-side
- Harriet Cooper, Director, The Burton at Bideford
- Paul Newman, Creative Director, Dorset Visual Arts
- Matt Burrows, Curator / Gallery Manager, Exeter Phoenix
- Sophie Scott, Associate Director, Ginkgo Projects
- Tom Littlewood, Director, Ginkgo Projects
- Beth Richards, Education and Engagement Curator, Harbour House
- Ros Carter, Senior Curator, John Hansard Gallery
- Lynne Dick, Head of Programme, Engagement and Learning, John Hansard Gallery
- Ben Borthwick, Head of Programme, KARST
- Lara Goodband, Contemporary Art Curator and Programmer, Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
- Kathryn Johnson, Curator and Head of Exhibitions, Royal West of England Academy (RWA)
- Bridget Sterling, Director, Axle Arts and Trustee, Somerset Art Works
- Freeny Yianni, Curator and Creative Director, CLOSE Gallery and Trustee, Somerset Art Work
- Clémentine Proby, Curator, Spike Island
- Nicole Yip, Director, Spike Island
- Laura Porter, Managing Director, Studio KIND
- Fiona Matthews, Creative Director, Super Culture
- Giles Jackson, Curator, Interpretation, Tate St Ives
- Georgina Kennedy, Curator, Communities, Tate St Ives
- Joseph Lyward, Assistant Curator, Young Peoples Programmes, Tate St Ives
- Dara McElligott, Assistant Curator, Exhibitions and Displays, Tate St Ives
- Kate Turner, Assistant Curator, Young Peoples Programmes, Tate St Ives
- Hannah Hookes, Contemporary Art Curator, The Box
- Gemma Girvan, Gallery Manager and Curator, Thelma Hulbert Gallery
- Sarah Campbell, Associate Director for Arts & Culture, University of Exeter
Guest curator 2026: Claire Feeley, Head of Contemporary Visual Arts, Focal Point Gallery
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 April 2026
Selection
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. Selection will be made using random selection software, successful applicants will then be paired with curators who have relevant areas of interest and experience, and can offer the support identified.
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 (illustration, 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.
Curator Bank 2026 partners are Arnolfini, Aspex, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, b-side, The Burton at Bideford, Dorset Visual Arts, Exeter Phoenix, Focal Point Gallery, Ginkgo Projects, Harbour House, John Hansard Gallery, KARST, Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAAM), Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Somerset Art Works, Spike Island, Studio KIND, Super Culture, Tate St Ives, The Box, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, University of Exeter and Visual Arts South West.