Baltic Curators £30,960 Fellowships 2026 at Camden Art Centre in London
An unusually practical international arts opportunity has opened for early-career curators connected to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or the wider Baltic diaspora. The Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Camden Art Centre is offering a full-time, paid Assistant Curator position in London for up to 18 months.
This is not a short residency built around observation and networking. The selected fellow will join Camden Art Centre’s Exhibitions Department, work directly on live contemporary-art projects and receive a salary of £30,960 per year.
Applications for Baltic Curators fellowships will close at 12:00 noon UK time on Monday, July 13, 2026, leaving eligible applicants with a very limited window to prepare their materials.
What Is the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship?
The fellowship is part of the Upė Foundation’s Fall 2026 Curatorial Fellowship Programme and is being delivered in partnership with Camden Art Centre, one of London’s established contemporary-art institutions.
The successful applicant will relocate to London and work full-time as an Assistant Curator for an initial period of 12 months. The appointment may be extended for another six months following a formal review and mutual agreement, bringing the total possible duration to 18 months.
The programme is designed to help an emerging Baltic curator build substantial institutional experience rather than simply add another short fellowship to their CV.
Salary, Contract and Professional Benefits
The selected fellow will receive following package:
- A full-time Assistant Curator position at Camden Art Centre
- An annual salary of £30,960
- A 12-month fixed-term employment contract
- The possibility of a six-month extension
- Structured mentoring and professional development
- Experience working on exhibitions, commissions, publications, residencies and public events
- Opportunities to develop professional networks in London and internationally
- A platform to bring Baltic and Central Eastern European research into institutional discussions
Relocation to London is compulsory because the fellow will be embedded within the day-to-day work of the Exhibitions Department.
Applicants should note that the announcement lists the salary and professional benefits but does not separately advertise accommodation, relocation funding or travel reimbursement. Candidates should therefore review the full job pack carefully before calculating the financial cost of moving to London.
Which Subjects and Academic Backgrounds Are Accepted?
This Baltic fellowship is aimed primarily at applicants with an academic or professional background in:
- Curating
- Art history
- Visual culture
- Contemporary art
- Museum and gallery studies
- Exhibition studies
- Cultural studies
- Arts administration
- Other closely related creative or humanities disciplines
Applicants should normally hold a BA, MA or equivalent higher education qualification in one of these fields. The fellowship is not a degree programme and does not lead to a new academic qualification. It is a paid professional role for graduates and emerging practitioners who already have some relevant curatorial experience.
What Will the Fellow Actually Do?
The fellow will work alongside Camden Art Centre’s Exhibitions Curator, Director and wider Programme Team and responsibilities will include:
- Supporting exhibitions, projects and events both on-site and at external locations
- Assisting with curatorial research, exhibition planning and production
- Preparing interpretation materials and other public-facing content
- Communicating with artists, galleries, lenders, writers, designers and partner organisations
- Supporting shipping, loans, contracts and registrar processes
- Assisting with publications and exhibition documentation
- Contributing ideas for talks, residencies, events and future exhibitions
- Presenting research related to Baltic and Central Eastern European art
The position therefore requires more than theoretical knowledge. Candidates should be comfortable with administration, communication, deadlines, production details and collaborative institutional work.
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship is intended for early-career curators with a meaningful connection to the Baltic region. Applicants should demonstrate a connection to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or their diasporas through one or more of the following:
- Lived experience
- Family heritage
- Knowledge of a Baltic language
- Academic research
- Curatorial work involving Baltic artists
- Professional engagement with Baltic institutions or cultural contexts
Candidates must also have some early-career curatorial experience. This may come from freelance work, independent projects, artist-led initiatives, exhibitions, museums, galleries or other cultural organizations.
A long institutional employment history is not required. However, applicants must show that they can work independently, communicate professionally and operate effectively within a busy arts organisation.
Application Deadline and Fellowship Timeline
The last date to apply for the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Camden Art Centre is Monday, July 13, 2026, at 12:00 noon UK time. Interviews are scheduled for August 6, 2026, with the final decision expected in mid-August. The selected fellow is expected to begin the position in Autumn 2026.