Freewheelers, a vibrant company of disabled artists and an ACE NPO, seeks a freelance curator for Us and Them, a NLHF-funded disability history project. Co-create and deliver an imaginative, accessible touring/online exhibition with our members & partners.
Job Summary
Freewheelers Theatre and Media Company - a diverse and creative company of disabled artists, and an Arts Council England NPO - is seeking a freelance curator to collaborate on Us and Them, a major new disability history project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The curator will work closely with our disabled company members and project partners to create and deliver a high-quality, accessible touring exhibition. The exhibition will open at The Horton, Epsom (Sept-Oct 2026) and then tour to King's College London's Curiosity Cabinet gallery on The Strand (six months), with an online version hosted by Freewheelers.
The exhibition will bring together film, oral histories, tintype (Wet Plate Collodion) portraits, and historic records from Surrey's mental health hospitals (1850s-1920s), reframing perceptions of disability past and present. It must be fully accessible intellectually, physically, and sensorially - including BSL, braille, and audio description.
Responsibilities and Requirements
We're looking for someone who:
* Has significant experience curating imaginative and accessible exhibitions.
* Enjoys co-creating with community participants, particularly disabled and/or vulnerable groups.
* Can bring together arts and heritage content into compelling, multi-layered storytelling.
* Has strong project management skills, able to deliver on time and budget.
* Is confident in collaborating with multiple partners.
Responsibilities include:
* Co-creating the exhibition narrative with Freewheelers' members and partners.
* Writing exhibition text and shaping design/flow.
* Ensuring accessibility is embedded throughout.
* Overseeing installation at both venues and adapting the show for different spaces.
* Supporting a public programme of talks, workshops, and events.
This is a consultancy/freelance contract with a fixed fee (to be agreed), inclusive of VAT and expenses. Some in-person work in Surrey and London is required.
How to Apply
Please send us a concise document setting out:
1. Summary of your relevant experience
2. Examples of other exhibitions you have developed specifying your role, the budget etc.
3. How you would approach the project and the methodology you would apply
4. How you would approach working with the Freewheeler participants and project partners
5. Summary biographies of all the people involved in the work and a CV of any lead people
6. Your fee proposal, broken down so we can assess value for money.
Deadline for submission of proposals: 13 October 2025. Interviews will be held online on Tuesday 4 November 2025.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We are committed to inclusion and a world where no one is limited by prejudice against D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent people or.
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