Curatorial Research Fellowship

In partnership, the Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT), the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), and the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts (AFA), collectively present a new visiting Curatorial Research Fellowship.

The Fellowship will be based in the V&A’s Photography Section at South Kensington in London. We invite proposals from mid-career cultural producers between the ages of 25 and 45 years including artists, scholars, writers/editors and curators, working independently or affiliated to art institutions. The Fellowship will enable the recipient to conduct research at the Museum, as well as assist in the Photography Section’s ongoing projects. We look forward to receiving proposals for research relating to the V&A’s photography collections as well as details about existing curatorial interests of applicants.

The Charles Wallace India Trust together with the V&A will provide a monthly stipend (£1,600) and the cost of return travel to London (£700) to a single awardee to support exceptional projects.

To learn about the Fellowship criteria, read below:

Criteria

• The proposal should clearly outline the aims of the project and the intended outcomes e.g publication. We encourage a research-based approach relating to a broad range of photographic cultures, exhibition histories, and art histories. A link to the V&A collections should be clearly articulated. (500 words)

• The proposal must present realistic objectives within a timeframe of up to 6 months, and no less than 3 months. The project proposal should be submitted in English.

• The project should express the ways in which the Fellow will enhance their practice and also express the pedagogical/ or practice oriented inclinations of the project as a whole. Diversity and dynamism are keywords.

• The applicants should be able to demonstrate existing knowledge (photography history, contemporary lens-based practice etc.) and the ability to carry out the project successfully.

• This Fellowship is for Indian residents only.

How to Apply

• Applications/Proposals (500 words) must be submitted as a pdf to alkazifoundation01@gmail.com

• An up-to-date CV should be submitted.

• In case your query is not answered in the FAQs section below, contact alkazifoundation01@gmail.com and mention Curatorial Research Fellowship 2025 in the subject line.

• Deadline for applications is 1 October 2024. Submissions after the deadline will not be considered. Successful candidates will be called to an online interview. The awardee will be announced by January 2025.

• The Fellowship will commence in April 2025.

FAQs

• Can I apply with multiple projects?
  No

• Is there a timeline to finish the research?
  Though there is no specific timeline so the research can continue even after the duration of the Fellowship, however, the applicant is expected to submit an article about the research which may be published on the AFA/CWIT/V&A website within three months of returning to India.

• Can Collectives apply?
  No

• What will the Fellowship money cover?
  The Fellowship can be used towards travel (economy class) and accommodation/meals/local travel. These will be the responsibility of the applicant upon receiving the Fellowship.

• I am applying with a project which has been ongoing research. Am I still eligible to apply?
  Yes. Ongoing research is a possibility but the current research application should demonstrate a qualitative enhancement.

• In addition to providing funding, what else does the Fellowship cover?
  –  All organisations will promote the published work through their own marketing and distribution network.
  –  If required, the Alkazi Foundation can connect Fellowship recipients to its network of editors, etc to support the process of producing the article.

• Which projects are not eligible for the Fellowship?
  Projects in the following categories are not eligible for the Curatorial Fellowship:
  –  Proposals for exhibition catalogues or monographs associated with another institution or commercial space.
  –  Projects where funding is intended to cover infrastructure and equipment costs as well as the costs of operating cultural facilities, archives and collections.

• Who owns the rights to aesthetic and intellectual content of any published article at the end?
  Copyright to all aesthetic and intellectual content will remain with the applicant. Sources need to be credited. The organisers reserve the right to publish the article first.

• Will I have the rights to republish the project later?
  Primary publishing rights should be shared with AFA/CWIT/V&A. Any second or new editions and rights to republish should be discussed. Rights will not be unreasonably withheld.

• When will the results of the Fellowship be announced?
  The awardee will be announced in January 2025 on social media platforms.

Image credit: Exhibition view, ‘Convergence: A Panorama of Photography’s French Connections in India’ (Bonjour India 2022 – Embassy of France in India and the Institut Français en Inde), KNMA, 2022.