Organizer Information
Eastside Projects is an artist-run space and free public gallery in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, England, founded in 2008 by six artists — Simon Bloor, Tom Bloor, Céline Condorelli, Ruth Claxton, James Langdon, and Gavin Wade. It operates as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, working in partnership with Birmingham City University. Since opening with its inaugural exhibition in 2008, Eastside Projects has hosted work by artists including Liam Gillick, Sonia Boyce, Dan Graham, and Bill Drummond, and has built a reputation as a centre for experimental contemporary art and public art commissions in Birmingham. The organisation describes itself as an "artist-run pluriverse," reflecting its approach of supporting multiple coexisting narratives and practices rather than functioning as a conventional gallery — commissioning artists, curating exhibitions, programming events, working alongside communities, and training artist-curators through schemes such as its Extra Ordinary People (EOP) associate membership programme.
Title & Description
Artist-Curator Traineeship
Eastside Projects is seeking someone to join its team for 18 months to learn how to be an artist-curator through hands-on experience. Since 2010, the organisation has supported 38 people to develop experience in the visual arts, initially through Assistant roles and, since 2019, through Artist Curator Traineeships. Past trainees have gone on to roles including Director of Oriel Mostyn, Engagement Manager at London Museum, and Director of Metal Peterborough, among others who have developed careers as freelance artists, curators, writers, and researchers. During the traineeship, the successful applicant will work directly with the current team, contribute to Eastside Projects' ongoing programme, and develop their own artist-curated project with production budget and dedicated paid time.
The Role Overview
- Position Type: 0.9 FTE — 30 hours per week, usually across four days, including some weekend and evening working, plus 3.75 hours per week of dedicated research time for the trainee's own project
- Contract Type: Fixed term, 18 months
- Salary: Real Living Wage — currently £13.45 per hour (£23,605 per annum)
- Reports To: Not specified in the source (trainee works directly with Artist Curator Trainee Vidhi Jangra, Artist Maker Ruth Claxton, Artist Curator Gavin Wade, Scout Sahjan Kooner, and a new Organiser starting in August)
- Department / Programme: Artist Curator Traineeship programme
- Working Hours: 30 hours/week across four days, including some weekend and evening work
- Start Date: Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Position & Tasks
- Artist-Curating & Own Practice — develop your own artist-curated project as part of the Eastside Projects programme, supported by Gavin, Ruth, and the rest of the team, with a production budget and half a day per week of paid time
- Supporting Communities — help devise, plan, and deliver hands-on sessions and community workshops; respond creatively to ideas, artworks, exhibitions, and projects
- Supporting Artists — work directly with commissioned artists; build relationships, communicate clearly, solve problems, anticipate issues, and work to deadlines in a responsive, process-led environment
- Supporting Eastside Projects — carry out administrative and operational tasks; follow processes and instructions; prioritise to complete tasks on time
- Supporting Events — help set up projectors, AV, and sound equipment; document events using photography, film, and/or audio; think about how events and public programming can expand exhibitions and open out ideas for audiences
- Supporting Projects — install exhibitions and artworks; work beyond the gallery with different communities, sites, and contexts; work collaboratively as part of a team
- Sending Messages — create content for websites, e-flyers, social media (particularly Instagram), and other platforms; use WordPress; write confidently for different audiences
Categories
- Curatorial Practice
- Contemporary Art
- Artist Development
- Community Engagement
- Exhibition Production
- Arts Administration
Eligibility
- Must be over 18 years old
- Must be based in the UK with the right to work in the UK for the full 18 months of the contract
- Must have at least one year's experience organising things outside educational structures (this can include small-scale exhibitions, art projects, or art-adjacent activity such as community events)
- No degree in Art required, but comparable experience and knowledge is needed (e.g., through apprenticeship, work experience, or developing one's own projects)
- Cannot be combined with education — applicants currently studying at any level, full-time or part-time, should not apply
- Eastside Projects states it is particularly keen to support people who are currently underrepresented in the visual arts, including people with Global Ethnic Majority heritage, people who have faced socio-economic barriers, and people with disabilities
Program Benefits
- Salary: Real Living Wage, currently £13.45/hour (£23,605 per annum)
- Dedicated research time of 3.75 hours per week to develop the trainee's own project
- Production budget and half a day per week of paid time to realise an independent artist-curated project during the traineeship
- Up to £60 towards travel expenses for shortlisted candidates opting for a face-to-face interview
- All other benefit categories (health/medical insurance, pension, holiday allowance, probation period, professional development allowance): Not specified in the source
Application Fee
None.
How to Apply?
Click HERE to download the application form Email the completed application form to info@eastsideprojects.org with "Artist Curator Traineeship" in the subject line (application form available for download via a link in the source).
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 21 August 2026
- Interviews: 11 September 2026
- Start date: 3 November 2026
Location
Digbeth, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- The pre-application workshop will not be recorded, so all participants can ask questions freely; those unable to attend can email questions to info@eastsideprojects.org
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with Eastside Projects' programme and way of working before applying, particularly the Public Projects and About sections of the organisation's website
- The whole team is on holiday from 8–23 August and will not be able to acknowledge receipt of applications or respond to queries during that time
- Individual feedback is not offered to unsuccessful applicants due to limited staff capacity, though general feedback and observations are shared
- Previously shared feedback indicates the strongest applicants demonstrate an active post-education practice (as an artist or artist-curator), a clear connection between their own interests/practice and Eastside Projects' programme, and a hybrid artist-curator approach rather than aiming for a conventional curatorial/gallery role; the organisation also notes that applications appearing AI-generated are usually identifiable and are not favoured, as they are looking for distinctive, personal applications