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Venice Fellowship Programme | call for applications

An old building with a red and white light show projected onto it's facade.

Written byNicole Horgan
Published date 26 September 2026

UAL Decolonising Arts Institute is delighted to announce their ongoing partnership with the 2027 British Council Venice Fellowships Programme. The programme is a unique opportunity for creative individuals, students, researchers, artists and professionals at the early stages of their career, sending approximately 60 UK-based students and researchers to the Venice Biennale to spend a month in Venice during the world’s most important art and architecture biennales. Two fellowship places are available to applicants through the Decolonising Arts Institute.

The Fellowship has two major components:

As exhibition ambassador, fellows will invigilate the British Pavilion, engaging with the public and being the public face of the British Council and its commission.
Fellows will also have the opportunity to develop a research or creative project: undertaking fieldwork in Venice to inform their creative practice, research and/or academic interests. This should be connected to La Biennale, the 20th International Architecture Exhibition, the British Pavilion and/or the 2027 commissioned exhibition.

Full details are available from the Venice Fellowship Open Call.

What is the 20th Venice Architecture Exhibition and the 2027 British Pavilion Exhibition?

The 20th International Architecture Exhibition will run from Saturday 8th May to Sunday 21st November 2027 (preview 6th, 7th May) at the Giardini and the Arsenale venues, and in various locations around Venice. The exhibition will bring together architects, designers, researchers, institutions, and the international architecture community to examine new approaches to the built environment and the future of architecture.

The 2027 British Pavilion exhibition will be a UK-Malaysia collaboration marking 70 years of diplomatic relations between the countries. The team’s commission will explore impermanence in architecture, diaspora culture and how migration transforms living traditions present in Malaysia and the world today.

How will Fellows be supported?

Our priorities as a British Council partner are to nurture local and international networks, and engage with emerging creatives of colour, building on UAL’s support for past successes at the Venice Biennale.

Successful applicants will receive training from the British Council prior to beginning their Fellowship. This will include participating in 6 weeks of compulsory online training and collaborative workshops to learn more about Venice, La Biennale and the British Pavilion exhibition. The training will also provide a chance to network and meet other Fellows with whom you will be working during your time in Venice.

The Decolonising Arts Institute will pair each of the selected Fellows with a mentor. Mentors will support the Fellows in the planning and development of their project/research before, during, and after their Venice residency, to co-develop a clear vision and plan for how fellows will bring back their project/research findings to their peers and UK community groups. This will include up to 8 hours of face-to-face or remote meetings. Fellows will be recognised as Institute Associates for the duration of their Fellowship and invited to join a DeAI network of past and present fellows and associates. Fellows will be invited to participate in a public event to share their findings and discuss their experiences

Funding

Fellows receive a grant from the British Council matched by funding from UAL with a total value of £3300 to help support travel, accommodation and living costs. Additional funding is available to support access requirements.

Timeline

21 October, 12:00-13:00 BST: Online information and Q&A session for applicants Register here

18 November, 12:00-13:00 GMT: Online information and Q&A session for applicants Register here

18 November, 23.59 pm GMT: Deadline for applications to the Fellowships programme.

January 2027: Candidates notified of application outcome.

February to April 2027: Induction School Training. Candidates must commit to and attend in full all online training dates.

May to November 2027: Candidates must be available to travel and live in Venice for a full month period (30 days). The designated period will be confirmed after the final selection of fellows.

February 2028: Final Showcasing event.

How to apply

Eligibility

Please review the Venice Fellowship Application Guidance Notes for the full list of Eligibility and Requirements from the British Council.

We are seeking individuals that meet the following criteria:

Candidates must be over 18 years old and based in the UK.
Candidates must be enrolled at UAL as postgraduate or doctoral students; UAL postgraduate or doctoral alumni are also welcome to apply.
We welcome creative individuals from all backgrounds, areas of knowledge and/or academic departments, and we particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups in the creative sector, including those from the following: global ethnic majority, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and those facing social barriers to accessing the arts, the creative industries and other economic opportunities.
Candidates must commit to and attend in full to attend every date of the Induction School.
Candidates must be able to manage, handle and book all the requirements for their own trip to Venice (including travel and finding accommodation), as well as develop their project/research.
Candidates must be available to travel and live in Venice for a full month period (30 days) from May to November 2027. The designated period will be confirmed after final selection.
Candidates must demonstrate experience, confidence and interest in working with people from diverse backgrounds and have (emerging) confidence in engaging with audiences, for example, through public speaking and presenting.
Candidates should have an idea of a potential project or research proposal connected to the Programme values, as well as with the 2027 La Biennale/British Pavilion theme, including impermanence in architecture, diaspora culture and how migration transforms living traditions present in Malaysia and the world today. to be developed while in Venice and back to the UK.

Application Process

Read the Venice Fellowship Application Guidance Notes
Download and complete the application form
Send a copy of your CV with your completed application form to decolonisingartsinstitute@arts.ac.uk

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is 18 November 2026 23.59 GMT

Please note that we will not be able to accept any late applications. Please allow plenty of time to prepare and submit your application, making sure you send your completed application form to the correct email address well before the deadline.

Selection Process

A UAL panel led by the Decolonising Arts Institute will review all applications against the questions in the application form.

All applicants will be informed as to whether or not their application was shortlisted by the Decolonising Arts Institute. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications expected, we will not be able to provide individual feedback on applications.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a short online interview and the candidates selected through the interview process will have their applications sent to the British Council for the final selection process.

Interviews are scheduled to take place on 01-02 December 2026.

The British Council will review the shortlisted applications and notify the final candidates in January 2027.

Further Information

Please read the Venice Fellowship Open Call and the Venice Fellowship Application Guidance Notes for detailed information about the programme and to download the application form. General information about the Venice Fellowship is available on the British Council’s website.