I’m Sara, I’m currently an MA Comparative Literature student at SOAS, and this summer I was a curatorial intern at the Arab British Centre, facilitated by the SOAS summer internships scheme. When I first saw the job description, it was a perfect intersection of my British Iraqi identity, my experience teaching arts and music in schools, my love for arts and cultures, and my interest in pursuing a career in the sector. Despite my lack of previous curatorial experience, I was emboldened to apply because this felt like an amazing opportunity to bridge my background, personal interests, and career goals.
Over the past ten weeks I’ve had the chance to get a closer look at the inner workings of a cultural organisation, understanding what goes into planning programmes, and demystifying what curation involves.
Going into the internship, I expected the role to be fairly admin heavy, and whilst there have been administrative tasks like typing up participation forms, the role ended up being much more varied and hands-on than I’d anticipated.
Despite being predominantly remote I have had opportunities to work from the Arab British Centre office and get involved helping with installs and de-installs in gallery spaces, and supporting marketing efforts across a range of projects. One of my first tasks was helping with the deinstallation of Limbs of the Lunar Disc, an exhibition at Mimosa House that was part of Shubbak Festival. I loved getting to know the technicians and Shubbak volunteers and learning about the different paths people take to enter the arts sector.
One of the most valuable parts of the internship was learning about the less visible (but very real!) logistical side of curating- from the physical limitations of a space to behind the scenes planning of residencies and events. I also gained insight into funders’ requirements and how they shape programming decisions.
Being involved across different areas of the organisation meant I was constantly learning from navigating content management systems and creating website pages, to researching publishers and helping shape outreach materials.
Some particular highlights have included going to Liverpool to help with the installation of Limbs of the Lunar Disc: Isthmus Ancient River, where I created a children’s activity pack to accompany the installation. I spent time digging through the Liverpool World Museum’s collections online and in person, then designed a treasure hunt that linked the installation’s themes to the museum’s existing collection. Seeing photos of children completing the activities was incredibly rewarding.
For the 3oubour: A River Between Mountains online residency I had the chance to attend artist talks, write reviews, and then work on editing the recorded conversations. I used the residency’s graphic artwork to design custom title screens and eventually uploaded the videos to YouTube- a satisfying moment to see something you’ve spent hours on being published!
From building and uploading website pages to researching and reaching out to potential publishers for upcoming residencies, I got to experience both the creative and practical sides of supporting artists and programming.
Even though ten weeks isn’t a long time, I’ve seen projects evolve and had the chance to contribute meaningfully to several of them, in London, Liverpool and online.
All in all, this internship has shown me how multi-layered the work behind exhibitions and residencies really is and how many hands, ideas, and logistical steps go into creating these projects. It’s been a brilliant learning experience, and I’m leaving with new skills, a better understanding of the sector, and lots of appreciation for the team at the Arab British Centre- particularly a huge shoutout to Jess for being an incredibly supportive manager!