Organizer Information
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is a globally recognized institution dedicated to art, design, and creative heritage. Based in London, it operates as a family of museums with a mission to champion creativity in all its forms and advance cultural knowledge across disciplines.
Founded in the 19th century, the V&A holds one of the most comprehensive museum collections in the world, spanning over 5,000 years of human creativity. Its holdings exceed 2.8 million objects across art, design, photography, fashion, performance, and decorative arts.
The museum has been a pioneer in photographic collection development since the 1850s. Its photography holdings expanded significantly in 2017 with the integration of the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection. Today, the V&A Photography Collection is internationally significant, comprising over one million objects including prints, negatives, cameras, books, technical equipment, and archival materials.
The Photography Centre at V&A South Kensington—opened in 2023—is the UK’s largest permanent space dedicated to photography, offering exhibitions, research opportunities, and public programming at a world-class level. The institution actively supports curatorial research, public engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration across its global network.
Title & Description
Curatorial Fellow in Photography (supported by The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation)
This is a 24-month curatorial fellowship based in the Photography Department of the V&A at South Kensington. The opportunity is designed to support an emerging or early-career curator specializing in photography history, offering a structured balance between independent research and hands-on curatorial practice within one of the world’s most important photography collections.
The fellow will conduct original research using the V&A’s extensive photography holdings while contributing to curatorial work across exhibitions, acquisitions, cataloguing, interpretation, and public engagement.
A key component of the fellowship is the development of an independent research project, agreed at the start of the term. This project may focus on areas such as portraiture, colour photography, or photographic processes—topics aligned with the interests of The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation. The fellow’s research will directly contribute to the interpretation, visibility, and academic understanding of the museum’s photography collection.
The Role Overview
- Position: Curatorial Fellow in Photography
- Department: Art, Architecture, Photography & Design (AAPD)
- Reports to: Curator, Photography
- Line Management: None
- Contract Type: Fixed-term (24 months)
- Working Pattern: Full-time, Monday to Friday
- Hours: 36 hours per week
- Salary: Band 5 (£35,561 per annum)
- Location: V&A South Kensington, London
- Programme Support: The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation
This fellowship combines academic research with professional curatorial responsibilities. It is embedded within the Photography Section and contributes to the wider programming and strategic development of the museum’s photographic collections.
Position & Tasks
The Curatorial Fellow will be responsible for a wide range of curatorial and research-related duties, including:
- Developing and executing a structured research programme related to photography collections
- Handling and documenting photographic objects with full adherence to museum ethics and conservation standards
- Supporting cataloguing, documentation, and digitisation of the photography collection
- Conducting research to support acquisition proposals and curatorial decision-making
- Responding to enquiries from both public audiences and academic specialists
- Contributing to exhibitions, gallery displays, and interpretive materials such as labels
- Participating in the maintenance and evaluation of gallery spaces
- Collaborating on conferences, seminars, and learning programmes
- Producing written contributions for publications (print and digital)
- Supporting engagement with acquisition committees and maintaining communication with the funding foundation
- Liaising with national and international museum professionals and research networks
The role requires both independent scholarly work and active participation in institutional curatorial workflows.
Categories
- Photography
- Visual Art
- Curatorial Practice
- Art History
- Museum Studies
- Archival Research
- Cultural Heritage
- Exhibition Development
- Art Writing / Publications
Eligibility
- International applicants are eligible (no geographic restriction stated)
- Strong academic background in the history of photography
- Demonstrated research experience in photography or related fields
- Experience or strong interest in museum or curatorial environments
- Ability to handle sensitive archival and photographic materials
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
- Ability to work collaboratively in institutional and interdisciplinary settings
- Early-career or emerging professionals are typically best suited (based on the fellowship nature)
Desirable:
- Knowledge of a modern European language
- Experience working with photographic collections in museums or galleries
- Familiarity with museum documentation systems and object handling
Program Benefits
- Fully paid curatorial fellowship position
- Competitive salary (£35,561 per year)
- 24 months of professional curatorial experience at the V&A
- Direct access to one of the world’s largest photography collections
- Participation in exhibitions, research publications, and academic programming
- Professional networking with international museum and academic communities
- Institutional mentorship under senior curators
- Employee benefits including pension contributions, travel loans, museum access, and discounts
- Exposure to high-level curatorial decision-making and acquisition processes
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- CV (academic and professional background)
- Evidence of scholarly research in the history
- Portfolio or sample of relevant written work (e.g., publications, essays, research papers)
- Cover letter or motivation statement outlining research interests
- Supporting documentation relevant to eligibility and experience
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 22 June 2026
- Interview / Assessment Days: 3 July 2026
- Expected Start Date: 1 October 2026
- Fellowship Duration: 24 months from the start date
Location
London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- Anonymous shortlisting process (personal identifiers removed during initial selection)
- Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in hiring and workplace culture
- Disability Confident Employer with guaranteed interview consideration for eligible candidates
- Strong emphasis on sustainability, collaboration, creativity, equity, and generosity as institutional values
- Role may evolve depending on institutional priorities and curatorial needs
- A high level of collaboration is required across departments and external museum networks