Beverley Art Gallery Curator Hannah Willetts has been selected as a member of the Emerging Curators Group 2024, with the British Art Network.
The Emerging Curators Group (ECG) is a supportive forum for the next generation of curators in the UK, enabling peers to come together and share experiences and thinking around curating British art.
The British Art Network awards bursary funding to fifteen emerging curators each year. The Network aims to connect the group with expertise in the field of British art through a variety of events and resources.
As part of the group, Hannah will take part in a series of workshops between January and September, both online and in person, and has been awarded funding to pursue her personal research.
Hannah’s research question is: ‘What role can a local authority Art Gallery play in a town community? Exploring ways of creating an active space for engagement with a collection and exhibition programme’.
Hannah says: “In my research, I’m looking to capture the playfulness and enthusiastic participation I’ve seen from our visitors here at Beverley Art Gallery and translate it into meaningful activities and engagement with art. This research will shape and feed into a new collection display and the future exhibition programme at the gallery.”
Councillor Nick Coultish, the council’s Cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: “Congratulations to Hannah on this well-deserved and highly prestigious accolade! I am very much looking forward to seeing the fruits of her research reflected in the future programme at Beverley Art Gallery!”
Although the art gallery is closed until the autumn during the transformation of the Treasure House in Beverley, Hannah is already working on an exciting programme of exhibitions and activities for when the gallery reopens.