A critical introduction to curating practice and curatorial thinking in contemporary art and design.
Key details
Fees
- Regular Fee: £1,875
- Early Bird Fee: £1,675 (now finished)
Dates
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2027 dates pending
10am – 1.30pm BSTThe course runs over two weeks, with 5 x 3.5 hour sessions per week.
Location
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Live Online
The Curating Contemporary Art and Design summer school provides an intensive introduction to contemporary curatorial thinking and practice in art and design. It offers critical perspectives from the viewpoint of experts who curate, research and write in the cultural sector, with opportunities for participants to engage with cutting edge curatorial approaches emerging both within and beyond London.
Through in-depth discussions with pioneering curators, participants are introduced to collections and displays of leading UK galleries and museums. In addition, the sessions consider wider forms of practice such as commissioning, programming, publishing and online curating.
Led by the School of Arts & Humanities, the course team is composed of curators, critics, researchers, historians and writers. The course combines analytical debate with practical, hands-on activities taught from the world’s leading art and design university and delivered online. As a forum for learning in a collaborative, highly dynamic atmosphere, the course also provides the opportunity to gain one-to-one support and advice from our faculty of experts and visiting speakers.
Considering factors such as identity, geopolitics, social economics, environmental concerns, digital developments and creative economies, participants will be encouraged to consider critically the role of art and design curating in the expanded field. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, you will explore a range of fine art and design disciplines in international contexts.
The course is convened by Elisabeth Del Prete and supported by Thomas Cury (CCA, MA 2023). The Course Director is Professor Victoria Walsh, Head of Programme, Curating Contemporary Art (CCA).
Photo credits: Elizabeth Price, Film Still from 'HERE WE ARE' 2025. Courtesy of the artist
About the course
What will I learn?
You will learn about:
- Current debates in art and design by engaging with professionals working at the forefront of the field.
- Latest developments in contemporary critical and curatorial practice by encountering a range of institutions, exhibitions and curated programmes.
- How curatorial projects are conceived, researched and delivered.
- How to develop and pitch curatorial project ideas.
- How to work collaboratively.
How will you learn?
Learning takes place through a dynamic ten-day programme, delivered over two weeks. Each day features at least two sessions, comprising three-and-a-half hours of live interaction via Zoom.
In these sessions, participants are taught as a group and work in smaller teams.
The sessions are delivered by RCA tutors and invited experts, including curators, artists and cultural practitioners.
These sessions feature:
- Seminars
- Presentations
- Workshops
- Encounters with exhibitions and institutions
- Collaborative group work and group discussion
- In-depth feedback through ‘crits’
- Project development and presentations.
Who should attend?
- Art and design graduates
- Early- and mid-career professionals from the cultural sector
- Curators and arts programmers
- Artists and designers
- Writers
- Researchers
The course will be of interest to those curious about the potentialities of new forms of public sharing and encounter with creative ideas and practices through talks by international speakers, discussions and group work with feedback from course tutors.
Course delivery
The course is organised in synchronous sessions in a live virtual environment that combines various digital platforms and tools.
Zoom
Using the videoconferencing service Zoom, RCA tutors and invited experts deliver a mix of:
- Seminars
- Presentations
- Workshops
- Collaborative group work and group discussion
- In-depth feedback through ‘crits’
- Project development and presentations
- Participants interact with the faculty and peers in breakout rooms in real-time.
Miro
Participants engage in cross-functional teamwork with the use of visual collaboration tools.
Through the online whiteboard platform Miro, participants get to:
- Interact with various formats and templates.
- Plan and brainstorm ideas.
- Create processes and workshop activities in the digital workspace.
Moodle
The College's learning platform Moodle is personalised according to the course's requirements to provide participants with a secure integrated system where they can access the course content.
The hub hosts a wide range of useful resources to enhance the learning experience, including comprehensive timetables, pre-reading materials, course slides, curated videos, tutorials, and session recordings.
Slack
Participants stay connected and communicate via the channel-based messaging platform Slack throughout the course.
In this space, academics, facilitators, and delegates can network, plan the course activities, and share documents and files during live sessions or offline.
Course outcomes and benefits
Participants will learn how to:
- Engage with current debates in art and design.
- Explore contemporary critical and curatorial practice.
- understand how curatorial projects are conceived, researched and delivered.
- Develop and pitch project ideas.
- Work collaboratively.
Personal and organisation benefits include:
- Exploring a range of fine art and design disciplines in international contexts.
- Access to curators, critics, researchers, historians and writers.
- Learning in a collaborative, highly dynamic atmosphere through an interdisciplinary approach.
- Interaction and networking with international peers from different backgrounds.
- Certificate of online attendance.
Since 2016, we have welcomed participants from Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum, Budapest's Museum of Applied Arts, the Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Sharjah Art Foundation, the Warwick Arts Centre and the Design Trust, Gabriel Caruana Foundation, Daiwa Foundation, Arusha Gallery, to name a few.
Course application process
Admission criteria
Participants must:
- have a successful application
- have an undergraduate degree
- have a good level of English language
- be 21 years old or over.
How do I apply?
The online form requires you to submit a:
- a 300-word statement explaining relevant professional and/or academic experience and outlining your interest in the course.
- a CV.
Application notes
- Please name the CV file before uploading using the following naming convention: Full Name_CV_2026 Curating Application
- Once you submit your application you will not be able to make changes.
- Only applications submitted via the online form will be accepted.
- Applications that are not complete or exceed the maximum file size will not be considered.
If your application is accepted you will be emailed with a booking link. A deadline for accepting and paying for your place will be provided in the email. The place will be held until this deadline, if you do not make payment by this date then your place will be released and offered to another participant.
Application deadlines
- Participants are advised to apply early to avoid disappointment as places are strictly limited.
- Applications will be assessed by the RCA course team every two weeks or until the course is fully booked. We will inform all applicants by email within two weeks after they submit an application about whether or not they have been successful.
- Unfortunately we do not provide further feedback information.
- If the course is fully booked and your application is successful we will add your name to a waiting list.
How will I know that my place is confirmed?
The offer of a place will only be secured and confirmed when the RCA receives 100 per cent of the course fee payment. Places are secured on a first-come basis on receipt of appropriate payment.
How can I pay for the course?
The course needs to be paid in full by one instalment and via the online payment system using a debit or credit card. Once you are offered a place on the course you will receive a secure online booking link. Please complete the registration and booking process to make the booking. Please ensure that you are using the most up to date version of your internet browser. We regret that it is not possible to pay the course fee by installments.
Free IN SESSION talks
If you are interested in exploring the topic of curating further and want to find out more, why not watch our IN SESSION talk series?
Why publish? Publishing as an expanded curatorial practice
Course team
Gallery
Contact us
Get in touch with us if you'd like to find out more about this or any of our other short courses.
[email protected]
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