Curatorial Fellowship at Sapieha Palace

Upė Foundation is launching the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Sapieha Palace, a branch of the Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of its Fall 2026 Curatorial Fellowship Programme. The opportunity invites early-career UK-based curators to apply for a full-time curatorial role at one of the foremost contemporary art institutions in the Baltic region, opening up new perspectives within the Baltic region while supporting professional exchange between the UK and Lithuania.

Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellowship at Sapieha Palace is a full-time, 12-month position for an early-career UK-based curator, due to start in Autumn 2026, with the possibility of a further 6-month extension, 18 months in total, upon review and mutual decision. Relocation to Vilnius, Lithuania, is required.

ABOUT SAPIEHA PALACE

Sapieha Palace opened to the public in April 2024 in Antakalnis, a historic neighbourhood of Vilnius. Housed within a recently restored Baroque palace, it is a branch of the Contemporary Art Centre, one of the oldest and largest contemporary art institutions in the Baltic region.
Sapieha Palace’s programme aims to create a critical dialogue between contemporary art, history and tangible heritage, while reflecting the social and cultural processes relevant to the region. The annual programme comprises:

• Up to three solo exhibitions in the first-floor Northern Gallery;

• One thematic group exhibition spanning the second-floor spaces;

• An annual symposium;

• Educational initiatives and public engagement activities.

‘Contemporary art, being a universal and democratic language, also provides a means for different perspectives to spread, for diverse approaches to meet, and creates a space for dialogue, or at least an attempt to understand. At Sapieha Palace, in a unique space, we are developing a polylogue between the present and heritage, for which the experiences and voices of different countries are particularly valuable. We invite you to join the team and bring a new voice to it.’
– Gintautė Žemaitytė, Executive Director of Sapieha Palace

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP ROLE

Embedded within the Art Programme Department of Sapieha Palace, the Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellow will contribute to the development, implementation and coordination of a section of the institution’s programme, working alongside Sapieha Palace’s curatorial team and external curators.

The Fellow will be responsible for:

• Curating one exhibition in the first-floor Northern Gallery, including the development and delivery of its accompanying public programme and related events;

• Supporting the development and production of Sapieha Palace’s main exhibitions and their associated public programmes and events;

• Supporting the development and coordination of the Sapieha Palace symposium.

The Fellow will be expected to:

• Align and agree the programme with the Director and in-house curators;

• Initiate and maintain relationships with artists and collaborators;

• Draft and oversee agreements with artists and partners;

• Lead on the curatorial, conceptual and structural aspects of their programme, working closely with the production team.

• The Fellow will receive day-to-day production support from two in-house project coordinators, as well as mentorship from Sapieha Palace curators and Director, as needed.

Each Fellowship provides the conditions for curators to develop their individual practice, embedded in institutional life, supported by mentorship, and encouraged to open new creative dialogues between London and the Baltic region.

KEY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants should have:

• 1–5 years of relevant curatorial experience;

• A higher education qualification, BA, MA or equivalent, in curating, art history, visual culture, or related disciplines;

• UK citizenship, residency, or another demonstrable UK affiliation, such as settled or pre-settled status, long-term residency, or equivalent.

Strong preference will be given to emerging practitioners who have not held full-time roles in major institutions or museums, and who are able to demonstrate experience and initiative in running small-scale, self-directed projects, spaces, or frameworks.

Sapieha Palace and Upė Foundation will fully support the process of arranging the Lithuanian work and residence permit.

‍What the Fellowship offers:

• A monthly salary of €2,175 gross;

• Fully funded compulsory health insurance;

• Initial flights to Vilnius;

• A new work computer;

• Support in finding accommodation and settling in;

• Assistance in arranging residence and work permits;

• Flexible office hours;

• Access to CAC’s broader infrastructure to support research and project development;

• A dynamic, fast-paced work environment.

SALARY & JOB DESCRIPTION

Please find a full job description here.

HOW TO APPLY

We place great value on original, individual thinking and writing. We therefore strongly encourage applicants to prepare their materials in their own words and to avoid generic or artificially generated responses. Applications that are authentically the candidate's own will be prioritised in the selection process.

Please submit the following materials in English, compiled as a single PDF file, to sapiegurumai@cac.lt with the subject line “Upė Foundation Curatorial Fellow.”

• CV;

• Motivational letter, maximum 1 A4 page, outlining your interest in Sapieha Palace and this specific opportunity;

• Exhibition proposal for the first-floor Northern Gallery, maximum 1 A4 page.

If you have any questions before applying, you can contact Sapieha Palace at sapiegurumai@cac.lt.

Application deadline: 12:00 noon UK time, Monday 13 July 2026
Interviews: early August 2026
Final decision: mid-August 2026
Start date: Autumn 2026

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications will be reviewed jointly by Upė Foundation and Sapieha Palace. Following an initial assessment, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to a first-round online interview with representatives from both organisations. A smaller group of finalists will be invited to a second interview.

The selection panel will include members of Upė Foundation and Sapieha Palace. Decisions are made by consensus, with agreement required from the full panel at each stage.