Curatorial Fellowships
About the Fellowship
Creative Australia is supporting two Curatorial Fellowships at The Berndt Museum, The University of Western Australia, for Indigenous art centre workers from Western Australia. The fellowships will run for two years (April 2027- April 2029), combining remote and on-site work, and will culminate in exhibitions at The Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery. The programme is a partnership with AACHWA (The Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia) to support the professional development of Indigenous art centre workers.
The Berndt Museum is an Indigenous-led university museum that holds one of the most significant collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural material in the world. The programme is designed to be flexible for an emerging Indigenous curator who is concurrently working in the art centre sector, enabling a longer-term, research-based project that may utilise the museum’s collections and archives. The programme also serves as a reciprocal exchange of knowledge and skills between arts workers and their art centres, and the Berndt museum and our staff. Our aim is to support fellows in engaging in both community-led and collections-based research to produce culturally resonant projects and explore their curatorial interests. Read more about Berndt Museum exhibitions here.
Applications will need to be supported by an art centre. While curatorial fees, travel and per diems are covered by the fellowship, some time working on the project would need to be considered as professional development rather than unpaid leave.
Applications close 1 February 2027
We will host an online information session, to be announced
Submit one form per applicant
How to apply:
Fill out the online form
Eligibility
To be eligible for the fellowship, participants need to:
- Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Straight Islander
- Be currently working in a WA Aboriginal Art Centre
- Have an availability across two years to develop a research-based curatorial project and be available for independent travel to Perth twice per year (1-2 weeks at a time, flexible).
Fellowship Information
Year One: Exhibition development
Two trips to Perth (1-2 weeks each) to work with the Berndt Museum staff and conduct research in collections and archives. Furthur develop ideas and conduct research from the home base/art centre, including regular communication and monthly meeting with the museum. This year will focus on researching and developing a rigorous project and will include opportunities in Perth for skills development and industry networking.
Year Two: Exhibition production
Ongoing development of all aspects of an exhibition project, working closely with the Berndt Museum and Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery teams. A trip in the first half of the year to focus on exhibition planning, and a further trip to coincide with the exhibition installation and opening in September 2028. Ongoing involvement in public programmes, exhibition and research archiving until the end of the fellowship in early 2029.
Creative Australia / The Berndt Museum will provide:
- Return Flights, Accommodation, and Per Diems for four trips to Perth
- Fellowship stipend fees, paid twice per year over two years
- Budget, timeline and working arrangements will be worked out before the start of the fellowship, between the museum, art centre and fellow
- There is a total budget of $60,000 administered by The University of Western Australia to support each fellowship to cover curatorial fees, travel (flights, accommodation an daily per diems). Curatorial fees are 4 x $7,000 (paid twice per year)
- Staff support and exhibition costs are provided separately by The Berndt Museum and The Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
Art Centre support:
- Art centres will need to endorse applications and support their workers to participate in the programme, they will need to:
- Work with applicants and the museum to make feasible work plan and budget for the fellowship, with approximate travel dates over the two years
- Assist applicants to liaise with the museum regularly including to arrange online meetings and arrange independent travel to Perth (UWA will book travel and will host fellows in Perth)
- Fellows will be provided fees for their work and per diems on travel days, but it is expected that work on the project should be considered professional development rather than paid leave. Art Centre managers are encouraged to pay the selected participant their wage across the duration of the program.
Selection Process:
- Fellows will be selected by panellists from AACHWA and The Berndt Museum.
- Feedback on unsuccessful application can be provided on request.
- Candidates will be selected based on their readiness to undertake a project of this nature. Some prior curatorial experience, or experience assisting with the preparation of exhibitions, is desirable.
Contact
If you have questions about the fellowship or application process, contact Jessyca Hutchens (Co-Director, Berndt Museum), [email protected]