Venice Internship

National Pavilion UAE at the 56th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia

Curator: Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al-Qasimi, President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation

Applications close November 15, 2014.

The Venice Internship is a specialized program offering a range of training opportunities for young Emiratis and long-term residents of the UAE to live and work in Venice for a period of one month serving as exhibition managers of the pavilion. The program aims to create a legacy of highly skilled art practitioners in the UAE equipped to take the national contemporary art and cultural scene boldly into the future.

This exciting opportunity provides interns a platform to get hands-on experience working alongside curators, artists and exhibition managers to put together and manage a large-scale exhibition at one of the most prestigious contemporary art events in the world. Not to mention access to a strong network of regional and international industry practitioners.

The internship is supported by a comprehensive educational training program that kicks off with in-depth training in the UAE in partnership with its top cultural institutions, aimed at enabling the interns to engage fluently with the content of the exhibition in Venice. The program continues in Venice where the interns engage in assignments based on fieldwork conducted in the exhibitions of the Biennale and throughout the myriad cultural institutions of the city.

To foster cultural exchange and enhance the interns’ local experience in Venice, Italian interns selected from the prestigious Ca’Foscari University in Venice work side-by-side with their UAE counterparts at the pavilion. This allows further engagement with Italian customs, language and knowledge.

To date, the National Pavilion UAE has engaged with over 100 interns, with many pursuing careers in the arts industries post their participation at la Biennale di Venezia.

Selection Criteria
Applicants should meet the following criteria:

• Over 21 years old
• Background in Art, Culture, Architecture, Design and/or other creative fields
• Practical experience in creative industries: internships, work experience, volunteering
• Knowledge of the UAE’s role in la Biennale di Venezia
• Interest and intent to pursue a career in the arts and creative industries in the UAE
• Experience and interest in international experience and travel
• Presentation of materials

Application Process
All applicants must initially register online when the internship applications
are opened. Candidates will be screened for eligibility and notified if they qualify for the next round of testing. If they are accepted, they will be asked to submit an essay and letters of motivation. From there, successfully applicants to the third and final round will have a face to face interview scheduled.

Successful candidates will be contacted by phone and email to inform them of their successful application into the program.

Applications close November 15, 2014.
Online application form