Young curators development program

The Young Curators Development Program offers learning and mentoring opportunities to young people in Boroondara. This series of free learning modules and mentoring by Town Hall Gallery curators helps develop curatorial knowledge and skills for young people who are interested in the gallery and museum sector.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for our Young Curators Development Program, you must be between 16 and 25 years old.

You must also be one of the following:

• a City of Boroondara resident
• a student at a school or institution in the City of Boroondara
• part of an arts organisation or arts community group in the City of Boroondara
• a person who identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and lives or studies in the Inner East Region (City of Boroondara, Monash, Manningham or Whitehorse).

First Nations, culturally diverse, and LGBTQIA+ people, and people living with disability are encouraged to apply. For information about the accessibility of our venues, see our Visit us page.

If you need a hard copy of the application form or would like support to complete your application, contact the Town Hall Gallery Curatorial Team at [email protected] or call (03) 9278 4770.

Assessment criteria

To be successful, you must meet the eligibility criteria above, and you also need to show:

• clear enthusiasm for the arts
• strong written communication
• openness and willingness to learn
• interest in working in the arts industry in the future.

Successful applicants

You will be notified of the outcome of your application in writing by Wednesday 15 March 2023.

If successful, you will:

• commit to attending at least 3 of the 4 program learning modules
• have access to one-on-one mentorship with Town Hall Gallery curators
• enhance your understanding of the Town Hall Gallery season program with major and community exhibitions and other public programs
• take part in an end-of-year graduation celebration.

What you will learn in the program

Module 1: Collection management

Learn the basics of caring for cultural materials in private and public collections. This module gives insight into the theoretical and practical steps curators follow to ensure items in the Town Hall Gallery Collection are kept safe and preserved for future generations. This module will cover industry standards for collecting a range of objects, including culturally safe protocols and handling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural materials.

Module 2: Working with artists and art writing

Gain insight into the important relationship between artists and curators. This module explores the creative brainstorming and background planning involved when preparing for an exhibition, in addition to the process of writing about an artist’s practice for online and print.

Module 3: Exhibition design and display

Learn the basics of exhibition design and display. This module will focus on the process of designing, installing and de-installing exhibitions, and designing for universal access and inclusion. Discover how curators work closely with artists, install technicians, and various contractors to install artworks.

Module 4: Marketing for the visual arts

Find out how to get the word out about your exhibition or visual arts program. This module gives insight into the preparation for public programs and covers a range of marketing topics such as photographing artwork, writing promotional copy and image descriptions (ID), and advertising in print and social media to reach your intended audiences.

More information

For more information, contact the Town Hall Gallery Curatorial Team at [email protected] or call (03) 9278 4770.

Find information about our learning resources on our Learn with Boroondara Arts page.