Future Curators Programme: Curator Opportunity
29 Oct 2025News Story
Midlands Arts Centre | Future Curator Job Description and Person Specification
Assistant Curator
Salary: £10,716 per year (full time equivalent: £26,792)
Hours: 2 days per week (15 hours)
Start Date: 1 February 2026 to 31 May 2027
Contract length: 18 months
Location: Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham
Reports to: Roma Piotrowska, Senior Curator
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) is excited to announce a new opportunity for a disabled curator to join the team as Assistant Curator. This role is informed by lived experience of disability and has been created to provide meaningful, supported entry into the visual arts sector. We actively encourage applications from disabled people who are passionate about curation, inclusive practice and developing artists who are under-represented in contemporary culture.
Working closely with MAC’s Senior Curator, you’ll gain hands-on experience across all aspects of exhibition-making, from planning and liaising with artists to installing exhibitions across our three gallery spaces and wider venues. We welcome experimentation across artforms, and this role offers freedom to explore and innovate. You’ll be part of a dynamic Arts Team lead by the Artistic Director, whose knowledge and experience will offer a range of alternative artistic approaches.
Most importantly, at MAC we are committed to championing new voices. As Assistant Curator, you’ll be supported to shape and deliver your own ambitious exhibition or project, with a dedicated budget and curatorial mentorship throughout.
We will be holding an In Person Information Session about the role on Saturday 8 November 2025 from 10am to 11.30am, where you can join us for a cuppa, a biscuit and to meet our interview panel.
How to apply
Application process
Deadline for applications: Monday 1 December 2025 by 12pm (midday).
To apply, please send:
- A CV, in any format
- A written text, film or audio recording answering the below 3 questions
- The names of 2 people who can provide references (to be contacted after appointment).
To accompany your CV, please consider the following 3 questions:
- Why are you applying to the Future Curator Programme?
- How does your experience make you suitable for the role?
- What areas of interest would you look to explore in this role?
Please respond using one of these formats:
- A written text (max. 1000 words)
- A film (max. 7 mins)
- An audio recording (max. 7 mins)
Please complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring form. This form will be viewed alongside your application and made available to the selection panel.
Please email your CV & text/film/audio to personnel@macbirmingham.co.uk using ‘Future Curators Programme Application’ as the subject header.
If you have any questions about the application process, please email Dave Cooper, HR Manager at personnel@macbirmingham.co.uk.
Information sessions
We will be holding an In Person Information Session about the role on Saturday 8 November 2025 between 10am to 11.30am where you can join us for a cuppa, a biscuit and to meet our interview panel.
Sign up to our In Person Information Session
We will also be holding an online information session on Thursday 20 November 2025 at 5pm where you can listen to Roma and Debbie talk about the role, there will be opportunity for questions at the end. Sign up to our Online Information Session
A dedicated Q&A page will be available on our website for enquiries about the role. We will update the content in response to incoming questions. Please keep checking the website: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/about/jobs
If you would like to speak with someone in confidence about the role, and to learn more about what MAC does, the following individuals are available for a Zoom/Teams or telephone conversation:
- Roma Piotrowska, Senior Curator
- Debbie Kermode, CEO and Artistic Director
To book a meeting, please email personnel@macbirmingham.co.uk with ‘Future Curator Programme’ in the subject header and the individual named above who you would like to speak with.
Next steps
- If selected for interview you will be notified by end of day Wednesday 3 December 2025.
- Interviews to take place: Tuesday 9 December 2025.
- The panel will consist of 3 people from MAC (CEO/Senior Curator/Business & HR Coordinator & Wellbeing Champion)
- Questions will be provided 1 week in advance of the interview.
- Contact us if there are issues with the interview date.
- Please tell us about any additional accessibility requirements.
- Feedback will be given to all applicants on request.
- Decisions will be made week commencing Monday 15 December 2025.
- Successful applicants will be in place with induction training commencing early February 2026 (subject to confirmation).
Thank you and good luck!
Future Curators Programme: John Hansard Gallery and Midlands Arts Centre each seek to appoint a disabled curator
The Future Curators Programme, designed and managed by DASH, brings together seven partners from across the UK to deliver different opportunities in different regions for emerging disabled curators to work within visual arts organisations. The Future Curators Programme is generously funded by Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the Art Fund.
John Hansard Gallery, and Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), two FCP partners, each have one opportunity available for an emerging disabled curator. To find out more about each opportunity and how to apply, download the Recruitment Pack below. This Pack is Screen Reader/ Read Aloud enabled, and BSL interpreted. There is also an Easier to Read version of the Recruitment Pack (which also includes and additional ‘Useful Definitions’ glossary) and a MAC-specific Recruitment Pack, both available below.
