Courtauld Institute and National Portrait Gallery launch curatorial partnership

The Courtauld Institute of Art and the National Portrait Gallery have announced a new curatorial partnership designed to provide postgraduate students with direct access to professional museum environments. The collaboration will be integrated into the Courtauld’s MA Curating program through a 12-week elective module titled ‘Working within Institutions’.

Scheduled to begin in spring 2028, the module will be co-taught by National Portrait Gallery professionals and Courtauld faculty. It aims to offer students practical insights into the methods used for conserving, managing, and displaying collections, as well as expertise in exhibition development, audience engagement, and institutional administration.

Courtauld Director Mark Hallett and National Portrait Gallery Director Victoria Siddall established the partnership to combine academic theory with practical experience, aiming to train a new generation of curators with the specialist skills required to run large-scale museums successfully.