Visiting Curatorial Research Fellowship 2027 at the V&A

About this call

The Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT), the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts (AFA) announce the third Visiting Curatorial Research Fellowship: a 3 to 6 month residency at the V&A's Photography Section in South Kensington, London, United Kingdom. The Fellow conducts original research in the Museum's collections and contributes to the Photography Section's ongoing projects. The organizers welcome humanities-driven research proposals engaging with the V&A's global photography collections, and encourage themes that draw on the interconnections between the subcontinent and the world. Proposals should outline the aims and intended outcomes, for instance an exhibition or a publication, and clearly articulate a link to the V&A collections. The Fellow receives a monthly stipend of £1,600, an £800 contribution from CWIT towards international return airfare, and visa expenses covered by the Alkazi Foundation. The awardee is announced in February 2027 and the Fellowship begins in April 2027.

Who can apply

• Domestic applicants
• Medium: Curatorial / Photography / Writing
• Entry fee: See official site
• For Indian citizens domiciled in India: mid-career cultural producers aged 25 to 45, including artists, scholars, writers or editors and curators, independent or institutionally affiliated. Collectives cannot apply, and each applicant may apply with only one project; ongoing research is eligible if the application demonstrates a qualitative enhancement. Applicants should demonstrate existing knowledge (photography history, contemporary lens-based practice, etc.) and the ability to carry out the project. Submit a 500-word proposal in PDF, in English, with an up-to-date CV, by email to alkazifoundation01@gmail.com. The proposal should outline the aims and intended outcomes, set realistic objectives for no less than 3 and up to 6 months, articulate a link to the V&A collections, say how the project will enhance the Fellow's practice and its pedagogical or practice-oriented inclinations, and may include details of the applicant's existing curatorial interests. Not eligible: exhibition catalogues or monographs associated with another institution or commercial space, and projects where funding is meant for infrastructure and equipment or the costs of operating cultural facilities, archives and collections. Successful candidates will be called to an online interview. The Fellow is expected to submit an article about the research, which may be published on the AFA, CWIT or V&A website, within three months of returning to India; copyright stays with the Fellow, the organisers reserve the right to publish the article first, and primary publishing rights are shared with them. The Fellowship can be used towards economy class travel along with accommodation, meals and local travel, which are the Fellow's responsibility.