Tate and Teesside team up to provide unique curating opportunities

To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, Tate and Teesside University have collaborated to launch two new Assistant Curator Apprenticeships to help more people forge careers in the arts.

The two three-year roles will provide hands-on experience of the curatorial work at Tate Modern and Tate Britain, as well as academic study which will ultimately lead to an MA Curating (Curator Apprenticeship) from the University’s School of Arts & Creative Industries.

The Assistant Curator Apprenticeships are fully funded, with support from Tate’s donors, including members of the Tate Foundation Executive Board.

Unlike traditional master’s programmes, these apprenticeship opportunities are also open to candidates who have not already completed a degree.

The collaboration with Tate comes after Teesside University recently launched the UK’s first combined master’s and higher degree apprenticeship (HDA) in Curating.

Professor Sarah Perks and Dr Paul Stewart, co-course leaders of the University’s MA Curating (Curator Apprenticeship), said: “The new Assistant Curator apprenticeships at Tate are aimed at expanding the range of voices in our museums and galleries.

“The course is the inaugural Curator Apprenticeship in the country and offers a ground-breaking approach to curation at this level, with practical learning and public engagement underpinned by critical and global thinking. “The apprentices will join an already expanding network of curatorial staff from diverse organisations across the sector and beyond.”

Tate has established a number of new paid apprenticeships since 2021, as part of its commitment to opening up the arts sector and diversifying its talent pool to help ensure museums and galleries better reflect the public they serve. Apprentices are assigned a mentor and receive training from an independent skills coach to ensure they are well equipped for further career progression.

Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said: “People can face many barriers when trying to start a career in the arts, and we want to help change that. In the summer of 2021, we set ourselves an ambitious target to launch 50 new apprenticeships by the end of 2024, and it’s wonderful to see how successful the programme has been already.

“Working with partners like Teesside University, we can continue to create new opportunities and bring new talent to Tate and the wider sector.”

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