Organizer Information
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art, design, and performance, located in London, UK. It houses a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects, books, and archives spanning more than 5,000 years of human creativity. The V&A holds many of the UK's national collections and serves as a major resource for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre, and performance. Its mission is to enrich people's lives by promoting research, knowledge, and enjoyment of the designed world to the widest possible audience. V&A East represents a major expansion, with the Storehouse (opened May 31, 2025) and the new V&A East Museum (opening April 18, 2026) located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London, focusing on radical access to collections, contemporary practice, community engagement, and co-creation with local and young audiences.
Title & Description
Assistant Curator, V&A East
This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, ambitious curatorial team at V&A East during a pivotal moment. The role supports the realization of V&A East’s vision by reimagining radical and equitable access to national collections, pushing the boundaries of curatorial practice, engaging diverse audiences, and opening up vast collections to local communities. With a strong emphasis on contemporary artistic, design, and performance practice, the Assistant Curator contributes to making V&A East a world-renowned centre for new work through programme streams, commissions, and residencies. The position involves working in the dynamic context of the recently opened V&A East Storehouse (immersing visitors in over half a million works across disciplines like fashion, theatre, streetwear, sculpture, and design icons) and the forthcoming V&A East Museum (co-created with young people, creatives, and East London locals, featuring exhibitions, commissions, and events spotlighting global cultural change-makers). The role requires a forward-thinking, proactive, and solution-focused approach to help ensure the success of this transformative site.
The Role Overview
- Salary: £28,520 – £32,952 per annum
- Contract type: Permanent, Full Time (flexible working options available; applicants can indicate interest in full or part-time hours)
- Reporting to: Not explicitly specified (joins small curatorial team; collaborative within V&A East curatorial structure)
- Fee: N/A (salaried position)
- Curator/Programme: Assistant Curator level within V&A East curatorial team, focused on contemporary practice, collections access, commissions, residencies, and public programmes at Storehouse and Museum.
Position & Tasks
The detailed job description is available as a PDF attachment on the application portal (request Word format via email if needed). Core responsibilities include supporting the curatorial team in pushing innovative practice, audience engagement, community access to collections, contributing to programme development (exhibitions, commissions, events, residencies), and helping deliver V&A East’s ambitious vision. Tasks involve collaborative work across curatorial, public, and programmatic activities to ensure equitable access and relevance of collections.
Categories
Curatorial practice; Art, Design, and Performance (contemporary focus); Visual Art, Fashion, Textiles, Theatre and Performance, Sculpture, Streetwear, Design, Photography, Ceramics, Glass, Architecture, and related interdisciplinary fields spanning the V&A's vast collections.
Eligibility
Open to candidates with a keen interest in contemporary artistic, design, and performance practice. The V&A particularly welcomes applications from those living in, or with significant lived experience of, the surrounding East London boroughs (Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest) to support building V&A East for and by local communities. Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). As a Disability Confident Employer Level 2, guarantee interviews for disabled applicants meeting essential criteria. No strict age, nationality, or experience limits specified beyond role fit; broad encouragement for diverse backgrounds.
Program Benefits
- Generous pension scheme
- 29 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
- Flexible working options
- Free/discounted tickets to V&A exhibitions
- Subsidised staff canteen
- 25% discount in V&A shops
- Give as you earn scheme
- Bicycle loan scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Interest-free rental deposit loan
- Free bike safety checks and repairs via Doctor Bike
- Wide range of training and professional development opportunities
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Staff diversity networks
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
Applicants must complete the online application form via the portal. Indicate preference for full-time or part-time hours. The full job description/person specification is attached as PDF (request Word version by emailing careers@vam.ac.uk). Specific documents (e.g., CV, cover letter) are handled through the standard online recruitment system; refer to the portal for exact requirements.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 10 January 2026
Location
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a groundbreaking expansion of one of the world’s most prestigious museums at an early and exciting stage. The V&A is deeply committed to EDI, offering an inclusive recruitment process with reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants. For Word-format job descriptions or queries, email careers@vam.ac.uk. The role emphasizes community-driven curatorial innovation in East London.