In partnership with world-renowned institutions, the Design Trust offers fellowships that allow individuals to develop their emerging careers, build in-depth research, acquire and create innovative work or increase their skills within their related discipline. These include, but are not limited to residency programmes, internships, research, writing, collaborative projects, and workshops.
Applications are now being invited that address the 2022 Fellowships theme of ‘Hyperlocal’. Based at the Royal College of Art in London, two Fellows will undertake advanced research into curatorial practice in relation to contemporary design and recent design history. Areas of focus might include: strategies for exhibition-making, display, interpretation and collections; design archives; design curating in the public sphere; design theory and method as curatorial practice; curating emergent technologies; and history and current practice in design curating.
The Fellows undertake research and study, embedded within the RCA’s vibrant interdisciplinary environment and supported by Design Trust. The programme of studies is designed to broaden the Fellows’ knowledge and skills in curatorial practice, theory and understanding of design, to enable self-reflection on the Fellows’ practice to date, and to support their specific research direction. Each Fellow follows a bespoke programme tailored to their needs and interests; components vary across seminars and workshops in design and curatorial history, theory and practice, interdisciplinary workshops and projects, and a placement with one of the RCA’s external partners.
Additionally, each Fellow devises and pursues an original, independent research project related to curating and design in Asia and its global contexts. The project is supported by engagement with subject specialists at the RCA and guided through regular one-to-one tutorials with a named project supervisor. The project takes the form of written work (ordinarily a body of writing comprising c. 6,000 words) and a public event in London, potentially but not exclusively an exhibition. The Fellows have access to technical resources and training facilities at the RCA, appropriate to their research.
Research may explore curatorial practice and theory in relation to existing and emergent design disciplines (such as product design, service design, wearable technologies, transport, performance or the digital). Projects might reflect on or generate curatorial approaches to design’s social, political or cultural contexts past, present and future (for example users/social practices, the public sphere, architectural practice or urbanism). A focus on Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area region is preferred. The research should result in an original curatorial proposal, demonstrate advanced understanding of curatorial contexts and approaches, inform the Fellows’ future practice, and show clear potential to inform curatorial practice in Hong Kong/the Greater Bay Area region more widely.
Applications are welcome from individuals based in or connected to Hong Kong or the Greater Bay Area with a background in curating and a research interest in design. The provision of the Fellowship depends on whether each Fellow obtains a UK visa. Applicants should either hold a postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline or an undergraduate degree with a minimum of three years relevant professional work or academic research experience. Proficiency in spoken and written English is also required.
The Fellowships are established with kind support to the RCA from Design Trust. This covers full fees for the year-long programme, as well as a stipend of £7500 for each of the six-month Fellowships to cover living costs. An additional £1500 budget per Fellowship will be available to cover further expenses. This additional budget can be used towards a one-off payment for round-trip travel between the place of origin and London; research expenses will be allocated after the research plan is developed and agreed with the RCA.
