Open call 2027
Nottingham NG1 2GB
United Kingdom
We are delighted to announce a global Open Call for the inaugural Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship at Nottingham Contemporary. Beginning in April 2027, this two-year fellowship offers an early-career curator the opportunity to develop practical curatorial experience within one of Europe’s leading contemporary art institutions. Together, Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary have conceived the fellowship as a meaningful pathway into curatorial practice, combining hands-on institutional experience with space for independent research, experimentation and public engagement.
About the fellowship
Geared towards an early-career practitioner who, to any extent, identifies with Chinese or Sinophone cultures or backgrounds, the fellowship offers an immersive introduction to contemporary curatorial practice. Embedded within Nottingham Contemporary's curatorial team, the fellow will contribute to exhibitions, artist commissions, live programmes, research, writing, and institutional development, gaining experience across every stage of a project – from research and conception through production, public presentation and evaluation. Working alongside colleagues across the organisation, from learning, marketing, and development to visitor services, they will develop a broad understanding of how exhibitions and programmes are realised collaboratively within a leading public contemporary art institution.
A distinctive aspect of the fellowship is the opportunity to help shape new strands of Nottingham Contemporary's live programme. Alongside contributing to the institution's existing programme, the fellow will be encouraged to introduce new research, questions and curatorial approaches while developing independent exhibition-based and discursive projects in dialogue with artists, audiences and the wider curatorial and engagement team.
Alongside their placement at Nottingham Contemporary, the fellow will become part of Asymmetry's wider community of curators, scholars, artists, writers, researchers and cultural practitioners. Joining a close-knit cohort of fellows and scholars, they will participate in an ongoing programme of research, conversation and peer exchange across Asymmetry's international network of partner museums and universities.
Throughout the fellowship, the fellow will also be encouraged to develop and present their own research through Asymmetry's programmes. Through research presentations, exhibitions, discursive projects, publishing, and collaborative initiatives, they will have the opportunity to test ideas publicly while contributing to Asymmetry's wider programme of critical inquiry, research, writing, and exchange.
The fellowship builds on Asymmetry's wider programme of long-term institutional collaborations with museums and universities, including Tate Modern, Chisenhale Gallery, SculptureCenter, The Courtauld Institute of Art, and Goldsmiths, University of London, creating a connected framework through which fellows develop their practice across different institutional contexts.
Together, Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary seek to cultivate dynamic new curatorial voices and contribute to a more representative, internationally connected and intellectually ambitious future for contemporary art.
To learn more about the requirements, timeline, and fellowship package, please visit our website. All application materials must be submitted in English. Please complete and submit your application via our online application page.
About Nottingham Contemporary
Nottingham Contemporary is a leading centre of contemporary art in Europe, and among the largest spaces of its kind in the UK. With a reputation for ambitious and risk taking exhibitions and live programme and an innovative and impactful engagement programme rooted in the city, we have welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors since our opening in 2009. Our international exhibitions spark important conversations about culture and society, often highlighting overlooked figures, histories, geographies and art practices. We support artists at all stages of their careers, from first institutional solo exhibitions to thematic group exhibitions and surveys of renowned figures. Commissioning new work from artists forms a key strand of our curatorial mission, supporting artists to explore new directions in their practice and realise ambitious work.
About Asymmetry
Asymmetry is a non-profit independent organisation based in London that supports curators and researchers with Chinese and Sinophone backgrounds. Through fellowships, scholarships, public programmes, research, and a specialist library, we create space for critical inquiry and long-term dialogue. By fostering connective collaboration, we contribute to more inclusive futures for contemporary art.
