Shane Akeroyd Associate Curator of the 2026 British Pavilion

The Associate Curator role will work closely with teams across the British Council including those in the Venice, Visual Arts, Marketing, Communications and Development teams.

This role is not a full-time appointment, and we anticipate that it will require an overall commitment of approximately 75 days starting in September 2025 and ending in November 2026 when the exhibition closes in Venice. The Associate Curator will be required to manage their time accordingly and will have regular check-ins with the Commissioner and Senior Project Manager to plan and prioritise workstreams.

Supports Head of Visual Arts Programme to design and deliver specific events to increase insight into British Pavilion and engage audiences in the UK and internationally. Events should also engage Venice Fellows and ‘UK in Venice’.

Build relationships across the Biennale with National Pavilions and collateral ‘UK in Venice’ events such as Scotland + Venice and Wales in Venice to develop mutual exchanges of VIP tours and visits during pre-opening week.

Map participating National Pavilion plans for audience engagement events such as “Midissage” in September and “Finissage” in November. See Fellowships Programme below for more information.

Research and map the breadth of UK artists exhibiting in and around the Venice Biennale. In concert with the Commissioner, build relationships with these and the host organisations or venues, and exchange information to organise potential VIP and curatorial tours.

Venice Fellowships Programme: Provide the Fellows with informative material about the British Council Commission ahead of their Venice months and engage with them online and/or in the UK during the run of the Biennale di Venezia 2026.

During pre-opening week, support the Commissioner and wider British Council team by Delivering tours of the British Council commission and intro’s into Lubaina Himid’s practice as required when the artist/Commissioner are not available.