Applications are now open for the 2026 Art Exchange: Moving Image curatorial development programme. Art Exchange: Moving Image is a collaborative, cross-cultural curatorial development programme designed to strengthen the practice of early to mid-career visual arts curators from Sub-Saharan Africa who are engaging with moving image as a medium. The programme focuses on building curatorial confidence, fostering critical dialogue, expanding international networks, and supporting curators to realise moving image exhibitions in their local contexts. The first iteration of Art Exchange: Moving Image ran in 2023-25.
Supported by the British Council, and delivered by Breinstorm Brand Architects, a strategic design and storytelling firm, and IQOQO, a digital platform connecting creative and cultural sector professionals, the Art Exchange: Moving Image programme combines mentorship, skills development, and curatorial experimentation across African and UK contexts.
Requirements
Applicants must:
Be 18+
Be based in: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda or Zimbabwe
Not be enrolled in full- or part-time formal education
Be an early to mid-career visual arts curator (see definitions below)
Be proficient in English
Have a demonstrated interest in working with the moving image
This programme is not open to artists
Currently hold a valid passport, valid until 30 November 2026
Be available to travel to the UK in May 2026 (provisional dates 15 – 25 May 2026) Be available to make a UK visa application (with support) between February and April 2026
Curators can mean: exhibition-makers, producers, practitioners, programmers who work in the visual arts space. i.e. Visual Arts practitioners, artists and designers who have put together displays, exhibitions, representations and/or convenings around the work of other visual artists for an audience.
Benefits
Up to six curators will be selected to participate in a structured, year-long programme that offers personalised mentorship, professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and a fully funded research trip to the UK.
Join a cohort of 6 peer curators from across the continent
Work with an internationally recognised public art collection
Participate in an online programme: receive bespoke mentoring and professional development and support from industry leaders
Residency: attend a fully funded research trip in the UK in May 2026 (provisional dates 15 – 25 May 2026)
Showcase: receive a grant to deliver an exhibition and programme for their local audiences, of artworks from local artists and the British Council Art Collection. (subject to approved proposals and due diligence checks)
Engage: alongside their exhibitions, each curator will deliver a public programme or workshop element for and inclusive of the local artistic community (e.g. artists, practitioners, venues)
Network and collaborate: build their networks across Sub-Saharan Africa and with artists and peers in the UK
Programme Commitment
Participants must commit to:
Attending monthly online sessions (Feb 2026 – Mar 2027)
A one-week research trip to the UK (approx 15 -25 May 2026)
Developing a detailed exhibition proposal after the residency week
Delivering an exhibition and supporting public programme in their home country taking place between late 2026 and March 2027
Fulfilling British Council grant agreement, monitoring and evaluation requirements
Method of Application
Click Here to Apply
When submitting the online application form you will need to upload:
Curriculum Vitae
Curatorial proposal (max 2 pages)
Signed letter of support from your proposed exhibition host venue
All in English
For More Information,
Visit the Official Webpage
Application Deadline: 18 January 2026.