Curatorial Development in East Kent (CD:EK)

Introduction  

CDEK is a unique professional development programme for early career visual arts curators. The programme is project managed by Shea Debnam Associates on behalf of a consortium of visual arts organisations in East Kent led by Canterbury City Council.

First established in 2005, CDEK recently completed its second edition. In its first two editions, the programme successfully placed twelve early career curators with host arts organisations, resulting in high quality, professionally curated exhibitions, seminar events and conferencing. 

 CD:EK first edition (2005/ 6)     CD:EK second edition (2009/ 11)

 Our approach to project managing CD:EK

CD:EK’s mutually beneficial mentoring relationships between curatorial staff within its programming partners and the emerging curators fosters key career development opportunities for the curators.

It brings new curatorial perspectives and capacity to the venues and fresh insights into the visual arts for local, regional and national audiences.

The complementary natures of the host organisations in relation to location and programming models combines to offer a range of mutually informing opportunities for curatorial development and artistic interventions. 

The Programme is guided by both the preoccupations and interests of the emerging curators and dovetails with key development agendas of the programmes at the host partners.

 Exhibitions and Events

CD:EK - Aims:    

• Test-drives a new approach to delivery of professional development to visual arts curators, complementing that available through postgraduate courses. There is currently no equivalent UK regional initiative of this kind
• Supports career development opportunities for curators and assists in offering a broad framework which considers curatorial practice within the context of the constantly changing relationship between the artist, producer, distributor and mediator
• Provides a mutually beneficial relationship between emerging curators and staff at the programming partners through a two-way dialogue of skills, experience and perspectives on curatorial practice
• Builds on, and complements historic and current professional development support for visual arts practitioners, and address the lack of equivalent support to curators or other sector professionals