We are launching the Migration Museum Community Curators Programme – a UK-wide initiative bringing diverse voices, lived experiences, and perspectives into the creation of the UK’s Missing Museum.

This programme will work with partners across the UK to recruit 10 Community Curators, who will co-curate a series of displays and creative outputs exploring migration stories in their local areas. These displays will be shown at partner venues in Spring 2027 and will help shape the Migration Museum’s permanent home in London, opening in 2028.

Who we’re working with

We are partnering with cultural organisations across the UK, including:

• The Food Museum (England)
• Glasgow Life Museums (Scotland)
• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts (England)
• Museum of Free Derry (North of Ireland)
• Hastings Museum & Art Gallery (England)

Each partner organisation will host two Community Curators.

Read on to view the recruitment packs and find out how to apply to become a Community Curator in each location.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for passionate people who believe that a more inclusive future is possible and are eager to work with local communities to highlight migration stories and bring diverse voices to life.

You don’t need previous curatorial and/or museum experience. We’re looking for people who are:

• Community-minded
• Passionate about representation, inclusion, and migration stories
• Interested in shaping cultural narratives in their local area
• From a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and lived experiences
• Can plan strategically and respond quickly to opportunities and challenges
• Connected to their local region through living, working, studying or organising

We are particularly interested in people who have strong connections to their local communities and are eager to tell stories to help change the narrative around migration.

If you are community-minded, interested in making a difference and in shaping an exciting new national museum, we invite you to join us.

Key Responsibilities

• Participating in training sessions with creative professionals to enhance curatorial skill
• Collaborating with one of the partner organisations to shape and implement the vision for the exhibition on a set theme and migration in the given region, including commissioning artwork or undertaking research
• Working with the museum team to review artwork, collection objects, or texts to be on display in the exhibition
• Fostering connections with diverse communities to ensure inclusive curation
• Planning and delivering an exhibition launch, as well as other events that may take place throughout the time of the exhibit at the partner organisation.

Payment

Location – UK-wide (2 community curators per partner institution)

Contract type – Freelance contract for 9 months (flexible)

Salary – £20ph, approx 4 hours per week (via invoice and bank transfer or high street voucher)*.

*People seeking asylum are invited to apply. We welcome discussions on how reimbursement can be structured to meet all regulatory requirements.

Key Dates and More Information

This project will run across nine months – from September 2026 to May 2027. 

Community Curators will work with the Migration Museum and one of the host organisations on a freelance basis, committing to four hours of engagement per week (paid at £20ph):

• 1hr per week with the Migration Museum
• 1hr per week with the host organisation
• 2hrs per week flexible (independent work or research, visits to other museums/galleries etc)

The programme will involve a curatorial skills training scheme, run by the Migration Museum and the host organisation. This course will introduce Community Curators to the basic principles of curatorial work, community engagement, as well as the practical skills of how to conduct oral histories, work with collections objects, commission artist works, write exhibition texts and install/display work in museum settings.

View the Recruitment Packs and Apply

Each partner institution will host two Community Curators. We have created separate recruitment packs and application forms for each partner institution, so please view the recruitment pack and apply to be a Community Curator hosted at the partner institution in your area via the links below:

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts (Gateshead, England)
👉 Recruitment Pack
👉 Application Form

The Food Museum (Stowmarket, England)
👉 Recruitment Pack
👉 Application Form

Glasgow Life Museums (Glasgow, Scotland)
👉 Recruitment Pack
👉 Application Form

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery (Hastings, England)
👉 Recruitment Pack
👉 Application Form

Museum of Free Derry (Derry, North of Ireland)
👉 Recruitment Pack
👉 Application Form

Deadline: 23 August 2026 (11.59pm)

Questions?

Feel free to email us:

Mona Jamil – Head of Civic Engagement mona@migrationmuseum.org 

Daria Lynch – Research Fellow in Curatorial Practice and Civic Engagement

daria@migrationmuseum.org

Supported by

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Thanks to National Lottery players. The programme is also generously supported by funding from University College London’s Institute of Education.

Read more about the programme here