Worldwide search for 'The Fifth Curator'

The Fifth Curator competition is a unique opportunity for an aspiring curator to select an exhibition of works from the British Council Collection. We are looking for someone who is based permanently outside the UK, and who believes they have the passion and knowledge to be a leading curator. The winning curator will be given unlimited access to the Collection, which includes over 8500 key works of British art and the resulting exhibition will be shown at the Whitechapel Gallery in London from 27 March – 6 June 2010.

The Fifth Curator exhibition will be the fifth and final exhibition in a series of exhibitions showcasing the British Council Collection at the Whitechapel Gallery. Artist Michael Craig-Martin selected the first exhibition Passports - Great Early Buys from the British Council Collection, focusing on some of the most prescient acquisitions in the Collection’s long history.

‘My selection of works for this exhibition barely scratches the surface of the Collection. For every work I felt able to include there were half a dozen I had to leave out… This is a collection that contains hidden treasures, many of which I know will be included in subsequent exhibitions of this series.’ (Michael Craig-Martin)

The British Council Collection is widely regarded as one of the greatest collections of modern and contemporary British art in the world. It includes over 8500 works by artists living or working in Britain, and the majority of the works are shown in exhibitions around the world. The series of exhibitions at the Whitechapel Gallery marks a rare opportunity to view works from the Collection in the UK.

For The Fifth Curator exhibition, aspiring curators from outside the United Kingdom are invited to submit an exhibition proposal by 4 September 2009 which features works drawn exclusively from the British Council Collection. We particularly encourage new views and fresh perspectives on the Collection, as these are vital to ongoing debates about British art within an international context. 

In November 2009, six short-listed applicants will be invited to London to take part in a week of professional development with the Visual Arts Department of the British Council. During this week, applicants will be encouraged to refine their proposals with the advice, guidance and resources of the Visual Arts team and they will be given the opportunity to visit the Whitechapel Gallery to view the proposed exhibition space and meet with its curatorial team. At the end of the week, the winning proposal will be selected by a panel of senior art world figures and announced at a special presentation dinner.

The Fifth Curator competition forms part of the British Council’s ongoing commitment to promote the Collection to new audiences, both in the UK and worldwide and to engage aspiring curatorial talent with one of Britain’s finest collections of British art. It also coincides with the re-launch of the new British Council Collection website (www.britishcouncil.org/collection) which features details on each of the works in the Collection.

For more press information regarding the British Council please contact Eleanor Hutchins on 020 7389 4981 or eleanor.hutchins@britishcouncil.org

For more press information regarding the Whitechapel Gallery and exhibition please contact Rachel Mapplebeck on 020 7522 7880 or RachelMapplebeck@whitechapelgallery.org

Notes to editors:

The British Council was founded in 1934 to promote a wider knowledge of the UK abroad, to promote the knowledge of the English language, and to develop closer cultural relations between the United Kingdom and other countries. The arts play a major role in international cultural relations, and for 75 years the Council has curated, organised and facilitated pioneering exhibitions of British art throughout the world. The full British Council Collection is now available to view online on our new collections website www.britishcouncil.org/collection

•           The presentation of the British Council Collection at the Whitechapel Gallery is supported by specialist insurer Hiscox which has a long and established association with contemporary art and was one of the first UK insurers to offer art insurance as a stand-alone policy for private collectors, museums and galleries. Hiscox’s sponsorship of the Whitechapel Gallery’s presentations of great collections underlines its commitment to promoting and protecting the very best in modern and contemporary art. 

Eligibility:

Applicants must be from a non-UK background and based permanently overseas. It is anticipated that candidates would have some proven experience in a visual arts field, but would benefit from the further professional development that this opportunity would afford.

Candidates must be competent in both written and spoken English (I.E.L.T.S Level 6 English Language or equivalent). All applications must be submitted in English.

Full details including the application forms are available by following the links on the website below:

http://collection.britishcouncil.org/about/news/2210/2212

Further information about the British Council, the Art Collection and the Whitechapel Gallery can be found at the links below:

www.britishcouncil.org

www.britishcouncil.org/collection

www.whitechapelgallery.org