Emerging Curator Award 2028
Open Call for Submissions
Deadline: Thursday 17 December 2026, 5pm

Backwater Artists Group invites applications from emerging curators and recent graduates for the Emerging Curator Award 2028.

 The award offers an opportunity for an emerging curator to develop their curatorial practice and gain practical experience across all aspects of exhibition production. The successful applicant will work with the Backwater Artists Group team to develop and deliver a members’ group exhibition or project for Studio 12, our exhibition and project space, as part of our artistic programme for 2028.

The selected curator will receive a curator’s fee and a production budget to realise the proposed exhibition or project. A four-week exhibition or project slot will be available in 2028.

Who can apply?
The open call is aimed at emerging curators and recent graduates who are interested in developing their curatorial practice and gaining experience in exhibition-making.

How to Apply
Applicants are asked to submit a single PDF document containing the following:

  1. Curatorial CV
  2. Exhibition proposal (maximum 500 words), outlining the concept and curatorial framework. Applicants may propose a shortlist of artists from the Backwater Artists Group website, but identifying artists at this stage is not essential.
  3. Biography (150-200 words)
  4. Curatorial Statement (150-200 words)
  5. High-quality images of previous curatorial projects, demonstrating the applicant’s approach to exhibition-making and use of space.
  6. Personal statement (150–250 words) explaining how the award would benefit the applicant’s curatorial career and practice.

Submission details
Email your application as a single PDF document to: elaine@backwaterartists.ie

Please use Emerging Curator Award as the subject line.

Deadline
Thursday 17th December 2026, 5pm

Notification
The successful applicant will be notified in early January 2027.

The selected curator will be asked to undertake a series of studio visits with Backwater Artists Group members during February 2027. These can take place in person or online. A final selection of artists will be made by 26 February 2027.

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