Training Program
Emerging Curator Program
13 Mar 2023 - 31 Aug 2023
Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Arts Hall
Date
13 Mar 2023 - 31 Aug 2023
Register Date
20 Feb 2023 - 06 Mar 2023
Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Arts Hall 
A step towards a flourishing curatorial career
Language: English
The Emerging Curator Program is a five-month training course for five curators from the GCC with a maximum of two years of experience.
This program brings together rigorous, in-person course work with ongoing online mentorship to advance professional development. The course offers opportunities to establish an independent working relationship with a mentor and investigate the important curatorial issues relevant for working in the MENA region.
The participants will work closely with course instructors, peers, and a mentor to understand and carry out:
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Curatorial research
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Artistic exchange
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Project management
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Logistics and planning
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Writing applications for funding
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Peer networking
The course is divided into three parts:
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Curating for Museum Professions March 13 – 19
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Curating with Artists, April 2 – 6
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Curating for Public Spaces, July 23 – 27
Courses offered in this program will provide participants with opportunities to gain skills and competences involved in the care and management of a museum collection while learning how to manage, preserve, and communicate topics around public heritage. There will be an in-depth exploration of the curator-artist relationship, a breakdown of exhibition planning, curation, logistics, and commercial variables within the realm of the contemporary scene.
At the end of the course one participant will be awarded a three-month internship at an international arts orgnization.
Program Highlights:
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Three in-person educational and networking opportunities with entire cohort
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One on one mentorships with international curator, through a series of online engagements
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Regular feedback on curatorial and conceptual development and support with budget development, funding applications and project management
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A three-month internship awarded at the end of the program
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All mentees are provided support to ensure their participation in the program, including all travel and accommodation components. The selected participant who will undertake the internship will be provided accommodation and a per diem.
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For those unable to attend the full program, there is the opportunity to apply for individual courses listed above.
Who’s it for?
Curators from the GCC with a maximum of two years of experience.
Useful Information
Course Structure
Course Structure
Course One
Curating for Museum Professions
March 13 – 19
This course addresses the question, which skills and competences are involved in the care and management of a museum collection? The course addresses themes, methodologies, and practices related to the managing of a collection of contemporary art and architecture.
Topics covered include:
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Research and planning
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Acquisition curating
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Conservation, restoration, and archiving
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Telling the collection
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Curatorial workshop in displaying an exhibition
The course is articulated in sections focused on theory, case studies, practical exercises, and workshops. All lessons are based on first-hand experience by the teachers and field-based research of museum professionals. Explanations are supported by case studies and practical exercises. The final two days of the course is focused on an in-person workshop where participants engage in applying their accumulated knowledge of exhibition making from the many museum roles.
Participants, under the guidance of four instructors, will use 3D models of the Misk Art Institute site Prince Faisal bin Fahd Arts Hall to develop, organize, and curate a permanent collection exhibition.
The main goal of the course is introducing the attendees to museum job profiles and the required skills, competences, and tasks delivered by professionals working in the sector.
Course Two
Curating with Artists
April 2 – 6
This course brings theoretical and practical skills for artists and curators, culminating in an online exhibition. Drawing upon contemporary themes related to Tradition, the course will investigate the different approaches to curatorial thinking and artistic practice.
This five-day course will consider the two vantage points in the artist and curator relationship by examining:
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Exhibition planning,
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Curation,
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Logistics and commercial variables within the realm of the contemporary scene
The course will question how this process has evolved over the years and how new technology like NFTs and the metaverse have become complementary assets to the more traditional processes. Participants will be offered the chance to work collaboratively in small groups where artists and curators will learn to think collectively while conceiving a personal curatorial concept and receive the tools to structure a coherent exhibition proposal.
On the last day, the PhMuseum Technical Director will join the conversation to explain the environment of online exhibitions. Under the direction of the instructors, participants will develop their proposals into a curated online show. If the level is high enough, the exhibition will be displayed live on PhMuseum.com and the exhibition will be shared with an international audience.
Course Three
Curating for Public Spaces
July 23 – July 27
This course investigates Curating for Public Spaces in the MENA region, and more specifically, the GCC.
Applying theories of curatorship to case studies of public exhibitions, this five-day, in-person course will include site visits and participants will develop a public art proposal (fictional or real) for a location in a city setting from the perspective of an artist or curator.
The course covers:
- The ins and outs of Public Art from an institutional and artist perspective
- Focus on the local context through a series of talks, site visits and activities
- Participants will develop a public art proposal (fictional or real) for a location in a city setting from the perspective of an artist or curator
As public art programing forms a major plan for the region, this course delves into understanding the nature of public art with a specific focus on communities and
placemaking. It will provide participants with an insight into the practical and theoretical aspects of curating public art from concept, location planning, stakeholders, community engagement, and funding to installing public art. The course approaches key questions:
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Who commissions public art?
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Who public art is for?
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What are the challenges of curating and placing art in the public realm