The Venice Fellowship Programme
The British Council has been responsible for the British Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia since 1937, showcasing the best of the UK’s artists, architects, designers and curators. These International Exhibitions, and the British Council’s Venice Fellowships initiative introduced in 2016, help make the British Pavilion a major platform for discussion about contemporary art and architecture.
The British Council launched the Venice Fellowships in 2014, creating partnerships with architecture schools and arts institutions from around the UK as a means to offer a steward-study opportunity for students from the partner institutions, and to enrich engagement around the British Pavilion.
The same year, Architecture Biennale curator Rem Koolhaas called for the international exhibition to be a global research project. The British Council created the Venice Fellowships for students and volunteers to further their knowledge and expertise in architecture and contribute to one of the most significant architecture events in the world.
In 2017, the Venice Fellowships expanded to become an annual programme, taking place for the first time during the Art Biennale, with Phyllida Barlow representing Britain at the British Pavilion during the 57th International Art Exhibition.
In 2018, during the Architecture Biennale, the Programme welcomed students and researchers from disciplines ranging from fine art to architecture, design, curation and anthropology. Fellows have reported benefiting from conversations between disciplines and research areas, and we hope to continue to diversify disciplines within future cohorts.
The Programme also developed an increased focus on the Fellows’ research projects and we have encouraged Fellows and Partners to engage a wider audience with their work once they have returned. In 2019, we are seeking to frame Fellows’ research responses as an extension of programming in response to Cathy Wilkes’s work, and look forward to developing this aspect of the Fellowships.
Furthermore, in 2018 many Fellows had the opportunity to assist with delivering public events with partners including Tate Collective, the Royal Academy of Arts and Studio Wayne McGregor. We hope to continue involving the Fellows in delivering aspects of the public programme around the Biennale in Venice.
The British Council’s Fellowship Scheme in 2024 hosted around 66 emerging arts professionals and students in Venice for a month throughout the run of the Biennale. During their time in Venice they invigilate the Pavilion alongside conducting independent research and fostering new international connections.