Upė Foundation is launching the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Camden Art Centre, as part of its Fall 2026 Curatorial Fellowship Programme. The opportunity invites Baltic early-career curators to apply for a full-time curatorial role at an institution, internationally acclaimed for its rigorous exhibitions, residencies, events and learning programmes, championing artistic experimentation.

Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Camden Art Centre is a full-time, 12-month position for a Baltic early-career curator, due to start in Autumn 2026, with the possibility of a further 6-month extension, 18 months in total, upon review and mutual decision. Relocation to London, United Kingdom, is required.

About Camden Art Centre

Since 1965 Camden Art Centre has been a place for art and the people that make it. Our world-renowned exhibitions programme supports artists at every stage of their careers, enabling them to make and show work that is relevant for today: brave, challenging, engaging and vital. Originally built, in 1890, as a public library, the building now combines historic architecture with open, modern spaces with free entry for all. Camden Art Centre has always led the way supporting artists and audiences to create and engage with the most vital and inspiring contemporary art and culture today.

We are delighted to be partnering with Upė Foundation on this incredible opportunity for curatorial exchange and dialogue. This kind of support is invaluable, both for early career practitioners and for institutions.  I’m very excited to welcome a new fellow here to Camden Art Centre, and to begin that process of shared learning and research. — Martin Clark, Director of Camden Art Centre

About the fellowship role

Embedded within Camden Art Centre’s Exhibitions Department, the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellow will work as Assistant Curator, supporting the development, coordination and delivery of Camden Art Centre’s exhibitions programme and related projects and events.

The Fellow will contribute to a fast-paced programme of international and UK contemporary art, working closely with artists, curators, galleries, lenders, partner organisations and Camden Art Centre’s wider Programme Team. The role offers practical experience across exhibition-making, including research, production, interpretation, publications, public programmes, loans, installation and exhibition documentation.

The Fellow will be responsible for:

• Supporting the Exhibitions Curator and Director in the delivery of exhibitions, projects and events, both on and off-site;
• Assisting with exhibition research, planning, production, interpretation and public-facing materials;
• Liaising with artists, galleries, lenders, partner organisations, writers, designers and other collaborators;
• Supporting loans, shipping, registrar processes, contracts, publications and exhibition documentation;
• Contributing ideas to exhibitions, talks, events, residencies and wider programme discussions;
• Sharing research connected to Baltic and broader Central Eastern European artistic contexts through internal presentations and curatorial discussion.

The Fellow will receive structured professional development within Camden Art Centre’s Exhibitions team. The Fellowship provides the conditions for curators to develop their individual practice while embedded in institutional life, supported by mentorship, and encouraged to open new creative dialogues between London and the Baltic region.

Key eligibility criteria

Applicants should have:

• A demonstrated connection to, or sustained engagement with, the Baltic region, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, or their diasporas. This may include lived experience, heritage, working knowledge of a Baltic language, relevant research, or curatorial work with Baltic artists, institutions or contexts;
• Early-career curatorial experience demonstrating the ability to work independently and contribute effectively within a fast-paced institutional context. This may include freelance, self-organised, project-based or institutional experience;
• A higher education qualification, BA, MA or equivalent, in curating, art history, visual culture, or related disciplines;

Desirable skills and experience include:

• Working knowledge of Lithuanian, Latvian or Estonian;
• Fluency in a second language;
• Experience using Articheck software;
• Experience using CRM systems, particularly Salesforce.

Applicants must hold the right to work in the UK, either by:

• Being under the age of 26 and eligible for the UK’s “new entrant” Skilled Worker visa route;
• Being eligible for the Creative Worker visa route;
• Already holding the right to work in the UK, for example as a British citizen, settled or pre-settled status holder, or existing visa holder.

What the Fellowship offers:

• A full-time Assistant Curator role at Camden Art Centre;
• A salary of £30,960 per year;
• A 12-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of a further 6-month extension, 18 months in total, subject to formal review and mutual agreement;
• Structured professional development within Camden Art Centre’s Exhibitions team;
• Experience contributing to exhibitions, commissions, publications, residencies and events;
• Opportunities to contribute Baltic and broader Central Eastern European research perspectives to Camden Art Centre’s curatorial discussions;
• Opportunities to build professional networks in London and internationally;
• A dynamic working environment within a leading contemporary art institution.

To read the full job description download the job pack here.

How to apply

We place great value on original, individual thinking and writing. We therefore strongly encourage applicants to prepare their materials in their own words and to avoid generic or artificially generated responses. Applications that are authentically the candidate's own will be prioritised in the selection process.

Please apply by reviewing the job pack and filling out the application form and monitoring form for the role which can be downloaded here.‍

Application deadline: 12:00 noon UK time, Monday 13 July 2026
Interviews: 6th August 2026
Final decision: mid-August 2026
Start date: Autumn 2026

If you have any questions before applying, please contact recruitment@camdenartcentre.org

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed jointly by Upė Foundation and Camden Art Centre. Following an initial assessment, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to a first-round online interview with representatives from both organisations. A smaller group of finalists will be invited to a second interview.

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The selection panel will include members of Upė Foundation and Camden Art Centre. Decisions are made by consensus, with agreement required from the full panel at each stage.

Upė Foundation is launching the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Sapieha Palace, a branch of the Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of its Fall 2026 Curatorial Fellowship Programme. The opportunity invites early-career UK-based curators to apply for a full-time curatorial role at one of the foremost contemporary art institutions in the Baltic region, opening up new perspectives within the Baltic region while supporting professional exchange between the UK and Lithuania.

Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Sapieha Palace is a full-time, 12-month position for an early-career UK-based curator, due to start in Autumn 2026, with the possibility of a further 6-month extension, 18 months in total, upon review and mutual decision. Relocation to Vilnius, Lithuania, is required.

About Sapieha Palace

Sapieha Palace opened to the public in April 2024 in Antakalnis, a historic neighbourhood of Vilnius. Housed within a recently restored Baroque palace, it is a branch of the Contemporary Art Centre, one of the oldest and largest contemporary art institutions in the Baltic region.
Sapieha Palace’s programme aims to create a critical dialogue between contemporary art, history and tangible heritage, while reflecting the social and cultural processes relevant to the region. The annual programme comprises:

• Up to three solo exhibitions in the first-floor Northern Gallery;
• One thematic group exhibition spanning the second-floor spaces;
• An annual symposium;
• Educational initiatives and public engagement activities.

‘Contemporary art, being a universal and democratic language, also provides a means for different perspectives to spread, for diverse approaches to meet, and creates a space for dialogue, or at least an attempt to understand. At Sapieha Palace, in a unique space, we are developing a polylogue between the present and heritage, for which the experiences and voices of different countries are particularly valuable. We invite you to join the team and bring a new voice to it.’ – Gintautė Žemaitytė, Executive Director of Sapieha Palace

About the fellowship role

Embedded within the Art Programme Department of Sapieha Palace, the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellow will contribute to the development, implementation and coordination of a section of the institution’s programme, working alongside Sapieha Palace’s curatorial team and external curators.

The Fellow will be responsible for:

• Curating one exhibition in the first-floor Northern Gallery, including the development and delivery of its accompanying public programme and related events;
• Supporting the development and production of Sapieha Palace’s main exhibitions and their associated public programmes and events;
• Supporting the development and coordination of the Sapieha Palace symposium.

The Fellow will be expected to:

• Align and agree the programme with the Director and in-house curators;
• Initiate and maintain relationships with artists and collaborators;
• Draft and oversee agreements with artists and partners;
• Lead on the curatorial, conceptual and structural aspects of their programme, working closely with the production team.
• The Fellow will receive day-to-day production support from two in-house project coordinators, as well as mentorship from Sapieha Palace curators and Director, as needed.

Each Fellowship provides the conditions for curators to develop their individual practice, embedded in institutional life, supported by mentorship, and encouraged to open new creative dialogues between London and the Baltic region.

Key eligibility criteria

Applicants should have:

• 1–5 years of relevant curatorial experience;
• A higher education qualification, BA, MA or equivalent, in curating, art history, visual culture, or related disciplines;
• UK citizenship, residency, or another demonstrable UK affiliation, such as settled or pre-settled status, long-term residency, or equivalent.

Strong preference will be given to emerging practitioners who have not held full-time roles in major institutions or museums, and who are able to demonstrate experience and initiative in running small-scale, self-directed projects, spaces, or frameworks.

Sapieha Palace and Upė Foundation will fully support the process of arranging the Lithuanian work and residence permit.

‍What the Fellowship offers:

• A monthly salary of €2,175 gross;
• Fully funded compulsory health insurance;
• Initial flights to Vilnius;
• A new work computer;
• Support in finding accommodation and settling in;
• Assistance in arranging residence and work permits;
• Flexible office hours;
• Access to CAC’s broader infrastructure to support research and project development;
• A dynamic, fast-paced work environment.

Salary & Job description

Please find a full job description here.

How to apply

We place great value on original, individual thinking and writing. We therefore strongly encourage applicants to prepare their materials in their own words and to avoid generic or artificially generated responses. Applications that are authentically the candidate's own will be prioritised in the selection process.

Please submit the following materials in English, compiled as a single PDF file, to sapiegurumai@cac.lt with the subject line “Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellow.”

• CV;
• Motivational letter, maximum 1 A4 page, outlining your interest in Sapieha Palace and this specific opportunity;
• Exhibition proposal for the first-floor Northern Gallery, maximum 1 A4 page.

If you have any questions before applying, you can contact Sapieha Palace at sapiegurumai@cac.lt.

Application deadline: 12:00 noon UK time, Monday 13 July 2026
Interviews: early August 2026
Final decision: mid-August 2026
Start date: Autumn 2026

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed jointly by Upė Foundation and Sapieha Palace. Following an initial assessment, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to a first-round online interview with representatives from both organisations. A smaller group of finalists will be invited to a second interview.

The selection panel will include members of Upė Foundation and Sapieha Palace. Decisions are made by consensus, with agreement required from the full panel at each stage.

Upė Foundation is delighted to announce that Andrew Cummings (UK) joins Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia as the first Curatorial Fellow of Upė's founding Fellowship programme.

Upė’s fellowship model supports the next generation of curators through full-time, embedded roles within institutional teams, combining professional development, research, exhibition-making and public programming. Developed with international partner institutions, the programme is a platform for emerging practitioners and new ideas to circulate between the Baltic region and contemporary art communities internationally. The Tallinn Art Hall fellowship is structured as a full-time twelve-month role, with the possibility of a further six-month extension upon review and mutual agreement.

Andrew Cummings joins at a pivotal moment in Tallinn Art Hall’s history, as its landmark site undergoes renovation ahead of reopening in November 2026. He will be responsible for curating the programme of a new black-box space within the historic building, developing exhibitions, screenings, performances, and other public formats in dialogue with Tallinn Art Hall’s wider programme. He will shape the programme in collaboration with the director and curatorial team, while working closely with artists and receiving production support from the institution’s in-house staff. 

The fellowship was awarded through a three-stage selection process led by the Tallinn Art Hall team, with the final decision made after an in-person final-round interview by Paul Aguraiuja, Director of Tallinn Art Hall, and Adomas Narkevičius, Founding Director of Upė Foundation.

Andrew Cummings is an art historian and curator from Wakefield, UK. Andrew studied for a PhD in Global Contemporary Art History at The Courtauld Institute of Art and Tate, and until 2025 was Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Decolonising Arts Institute, University of the Arts London. Previous exhibitions, programmes, and events include Dark Factory (MMCA Korea), A History of Future Contagion (Spike Island/The Courtauld) and Museum x Machine x Me (Tate). An alumnus of the Gwangju Biennale International Curators' Course, Andrew’s writing has been published by Tate Papers, Pilot Press, ArtReview, and Burlington Contemporary.

The second fellowship appointment, in collaboration with the Hayward Gallery, will soon be officially announced.

Upė Foundation is preparing the next round of its Curatorial Fellowship Programme, in partnership with Camden Art Centre, London, and CAC Sapieha Palace, Vilnius, with open calls to be announced in June 2026.

For all latest news and open call announcements, please sign up for our newsletter.

Upė Foundation and Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery are pleased to launch the first Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship in London, as part of Upė’s inaugural Curatorial Fellowship Programme bridging the Baltic region and the UK.

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Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Hayward Gallery is a full-time, 12-month position for a Baltic early-career curator, due to start in April 2026, with the possibility of a further 6-month extension (18 months in total) upon review and mutual decision. Relocation to London, United Kingdom, is required.

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Upė Foundation is a new London-based organisation with a core aim to provide new platforms for dialogue and exchange between the Baltic region and contemporary art communities internationally. Upė begins its work with a series of Curatorial Fellowships with major institutions – Hayward Gallery and Tallinn Art Hall – to support the next generation of curators across the UK and the Baltic countries.

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About Hayward Gallery

The Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery is a world-renowned contemporary art gallery. As part of the largest arts centre in the UK, the Hayward Gallery has been at the centre of London’s cultural life since it was established in 1968 and remains committed to creating a place where people can come together to experience bold, unusual, entertaining and eye-opening work.

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About the fellowship role

The Gallery’s diverse exhibition programme features influential artists from across the world and major international group shows exploring pivotal themes and issues. Embedded across exhibitions and public programming, the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship offers the selected curator full-time work and structured professional development within the curatorial team, while also recognising the value of Baltic research networks, perspectives and artistic contexts. The Fellow will be responsible for conducting research on artists from the Baltic region and beyond, assisting with the logistics of bringing major international shows to life. The role is designed to expand the Fellow’s skill set, from public engagement to practical training in operations such as developing interpretation materials.

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Key eligibility criteria

• Has relevant and demonstrable curatorial experience. Preference will be given to emerging practitioners who have not held full-time roles in museums and/or other major institutions;
• Has demonstrable research and administration skills, with a methodical approach and attention to detail;
• Has a higher education qualification (BA, MA or equivalent) in a relevant field such as curating, art history, visual culture or related disciplines;
• Has a strong connection to, or sustained engagement with, the Baltic region (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and their diasporas). Examples include lived experience or heritage, working knowledge of a Baltic language, ongoing research or teaching, or a significant body of relevant curatorial work.

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Salary & Job description

The full job description is available here.

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How to apply

Applications are now closed.

Application deadline: 12:00 (noon) UK time, Monday 12 January 2026
Interviews: February 2026
Start date: April 2026

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Selection process

Applications will be reviewed jointly by Upė Foundation and Hayward Gallery. Following an initial assessment, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to a first-round online interview with representatives from both organisations. A smaller group of finalists will be invited to a second interview. The selection panel will include members of Upė Foundation and Hayward Gallery. Decisions are made by consensus, with agreement required from the full panel at each stage.

Upė Foundation and Tallinn Art Hall are pleased to launch the first Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship in Tallinn, as part of Upė’s inaugural Curatorial Fellowship Programme between the Baltic region and the UK.

Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Tallinn Art Hall is a full-time, 12-month position, due to start in April 2026, with the possibility of a further 6-month extension (total 18 months) upon review and mutual decision. Relocation to Tallinn, Estonia is required.

Upė Foundation is a new London-based organisation with a core aim to provide new platforms for dialogue and exchange between the Baltic region and contemporary art communities internationally. Upė begins its work with a series of Curatorial Fellowships with major institutions – Hayward Gallery and Tallinn Art Hall – to support the next generation of curators across the UK and the Baltic countries.

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About Tallinn Art Hall

Established in 1934, Tallinn Art Hall is the largest and oldest commissioner, producer and exhibitor of contemporary art in Estonia. The institution is currently undertaking a full renovation of its historic building on Tallinn’s main square, scheduled to reopen in November 2026.

As part of this renovation, Tallinn Art Hall is developing a new, flexible black-box venue beneath the historic building. The space will be approximately 100 m², with retractable seating for 50–60 people, a height of around 5.5 m, a 3×3 m roof hatch for loading large works, a roof window with blackout option, super-silent air pressure for pneumatic artworks, a motorised track system for hanging lights and artworks, and a large built-in screen and projector. The incoming Fellow will be able to shape final equipment choices in line with their proposed programme

Tallinn Art Hall produces 5–6 exhibitions per year, presenting local and international artists and engaging with urgent social and political questions. The renovated building will open with a group exhibition curated by Tamara Luuk and Siim Preiman, focusing on shifting representations of nature in Estonian art from 19th-century painting to contemporary commissions, followed by an extension of Merike Estna’s Estonian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

The new black box is conceived as a space for cross-disciplinary, experimental practice that responds to Tallinn Art Hall’s wider programme while also allowing for independent initiatives.

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About the Fellowship role

Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellow will be responsible for conceiving and curating the inaugural programme for the new, cross-disciplinary black box space.

Most of the programme is expected to maintain a dialogue with Tallinn Art Hall’s main exhibitions, while leaving room for independent projects and formats initiated by the Fellow. Preliminary directions for the space include:

Art exhibitions

• Solo exhibitions (with a focus on new commissions, including site-specific work)
  
• Duo projects (for example, pairing an artist with a practitioner from another field)
  
• Installation displays

Supporting programmes

• Film and video screenings linked to current exhibitions
  
• Lectures and talks on subjects linked to main programmes at Tallinn Art Hall
  
• Presentations by Tallinn Art Hall resident artists and resident chefs
  
• Concerts and sound programmes by artists

Collaborations and experiments

• Encounters between contemporary dance and performance art
  
• Screenings of archival artist films
  
• More playful and speculative uses of the space, which could range from experiments with large-scale set pieces (e.g., an air mattress accessed via the roof hatch) to occasional club-adjacent events

The Fellow will be expected to:

• Develop a coherent curatorial vision and multi-part programme for the cross-disciplinary black box space
  
• Align and agree the programme with the Director and in-house curators
  
• Initiate and maintain relationships with artists and collaborators
  
• Draft and oversee agreements with artists and partners
  
• Lead on the curatorial, conceptual and structural aspects of the programme, working closely with the production team

They will receive day-to-day production support from three in-house project managers and mentoring from Tallinn Art Hall’s curators and Director, as needed.

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Eligibility criteria

Applicants should have:

• 1–5 years of relevant curatorial experience.
  
• Higher education qualification (BA, MA or equivalent) in curating, art history, visual culture, or related disciplines.
  
• Shall be a UK citizen, resident, or otherwise able to prove UK affiliation (e.g. settled/pre-settled status, long-term residency, or equivalent). 
• Strong preference given to emerging practitioners who have not held full-time roles in major institutions or museums, able to demonstrate experience and initiative in running small-scale, self-directed projects, spaces, or frameworks.
• Tallinn Art Hall and Upė Foundation will fully support the process of arranging the Estonian work and residence permit.

What the Fellowship offers:

• A monthly salary equivalent to the Estonian average published income, currently 2213 EUR gross
  
• Fully funded Estonian health insurance
  
• Initial flights to Tallinn
  
• A brand new MacBook
  
• A fully funded 4-day research trip to the opening days of the Venice Biennale 2026, together with Tallinn Art Hall colleagues
  
• Support in finding accommodation and settling in
  
• Assistance in arranging the residence and work permits
  
• Very flexible office hours
  
• A collaborative environment and ‘amazing people to work with

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How to apply

Please send the following materials in a single PDF file (in English) to upefellow@kunstihoone.ee:

• CV
  
• Motivational letter (maximum 1 A4 page), outlining your interest in Tallinn Art Hall, the black box space and this specific opportunity
  
• Programme proposal for the black box (maximum 3 A4 pages), including your curatorial approach and indicative ideas for how you would structure the programme over 12–18 months

If you have any questions before applying, you can contact Tallinn Art Hall via upefellow@kunstihoone.ee.

Application deadline: 12:00 (noon) UK time, Monday 12 January 2026
Interviews: Late January-February 2026

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Selection process

Applications will be reviewed jointly by Upė Foundation and Tallinn Art Hall. Following an initial assessment, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to a first-round online interview with representatives from both organisations. A smaller group of finalists will be invited to a second interview. The selection panel will include members of Upė Foundation and Tallinn Art Hall. Decisions are made by consensus, with agreement required from the full panel at each stage.

London, 3 December 2025 — After months of preparation and eager anticipation, we are delighted to launch Upė Foundation, a new London-based organisation dedicated to creating platforms for dialogue and exchange between the Baltic region and art communities internationally. Our work begins with a series of Curatorial Fellowships, developed in partnership with major institutions – the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery, Tallinn Art Hall and Camden Art Centre – to support the next generation of curators across the UK and the Baltic countries.

Next week, on 10 December, we will open the first calls for applications for the inaugural round of Upė Curatorial Fellowship Programme at the Hayward Gallery, London, and Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn. This programme will offer early-career curators the opportunity to take up an 18-month curatorial role within a partner institution, working full-time as part of its team while developing their own practice. Each round will consist of two fellowships – one at a leading Baltic institution and one at a major international institution – reflecting our commitment to horizontal, two-way exchange. Fellows will be embedded in exhibition-making, public programming and research, receiving institutional support and mentorship. The programme provides the conditions to develop their skills, experience and professional networks. It offers Baltic curators a framework to bring their knowledge of Baltic art into international contexts and, in turn, supports UK curators to work within Baltic institutions and open new perspectives within the region’s art scenes.

In Spring 2026, Upė will partner with Camden Art Centre to launch an open call for emerging Baltic curators to apply for a Curatorial Fellowship at their institution. Throughout 2026, the programme will expand to include further partners, with the aim that future cohorts will move in multiple directions, between the Baltic region and the UK, and later across broader geographies, from neighbouring regions to less-explored connections. The foundation takes its name from the Lithuanian and Latvian word for 'river' – upė: a reference to movement, exchange and the flow of ideas across different contexts. This sense of flow underpins the fellowship model: a channel for curators to move between institutions, practices and ways of working, carrying gained insight forward.

Upė launches at a moment when global conversations in culture are becoming more decentralised, and new relationships between places are transforming how art is experienced and discussed. We believe that in this increasingly plural (others would say, multipolar) field, the ability to articulate one’s own context, and to enter dialogue on equal footing, becomes both an opportunity and a responsibility. With faith that this moment, while uncertain, holds possibilities for self-determination, transregional collaboration and solidarity, we step into it offering structures for exchange rooted in shared, exploratory work, research and long-term relationships. Upė will look for ways in which ideas can move more freely beyond inherited cultural hierarchies and centres of gravity.

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We begin Upė's journey with faith that new relationships, ideas and forms in art emerge through shared experiences, movement and dialogue across different contexts. London, a city closely tied to Baltic artists, students and wider diasporas, and to both of us, felt like a natural starting point for continual conversation. The Curatorial Fellowship Programme, inaugurating Upė, is our first step in building these bridges, hoping that those who move through them will carry the river's flow in many unanticipated, unruly directions.

We are truly grateful for all the support we have received so far and could not be more thrilled for what lies ahead and where this river will take all of us.

— Adomas Narkevičius, Justas Janauskas (co-founders, Upė Foundation)

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