King's College London

The Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for two King's postgraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities to represent the UK as exhibition ambassadors at the British Pavilion in Venice. 

They will spend a month in Venice during the Biennale’s 20th International Architecture Exhibition (May-November 2027), where the UK Pavilion will celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Malaysia.

The Fellowships Programme is a key part of the British Council’s presence in Venice, supporting the exhibition programme, as well as being a platform for the development of new creative careers and future leaders. Successful candidates will represent the UK at an international level whilst broadening their perspective, making connections and developing their creative practice.

A UK-Malaysia team, led by Dr Guan Lee and Mike Lim, will curate the British Pavilion at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale. Building on the success of the UK-Kenya collaboration at the 2025 pavilion, which received a Special Mention from La Biennale di Venezia, the 2027 exhibition will explore themes of impermanence, migration, cultural memory and the relationship between people, place and nature. Drawing on Malaysian traditions of temporary ritual paper architecture associated with the Hungry Ghost Festival, the pavilion will examine how cultural practices adapt, travel and endure across time and place.

What is the Venice Fellowship Programme?

The Venice Fellowships Programme sends approximately 60 UK-based students and researchers to the Venice Biennale for one month each year. Two places are available to King's Arts and Humanities graduate students. Fellows spend half their time working at the British Pavilion, acting as Exhibition Ambassadors and interacting with visitors and supporting the exhibition. The other half of their time in Venice is dedicated to developing or exhibiting their own independent research or creative project, inspired by the Biennale and Venice.

Full details are available to download from the Venice Fellowship Programme Guidance Notes.

Funding

Fellows receive a grant of £3,300 to help support the cost of travel, accommodation and living costs.

Eligibility

Students must be registered as postgraduates (MA, MPhil or PhD) at King’s at the time of application. Please also read the British Council requirements set out in the Venice Fellowship Programme Guidance Notes.

Please note that we are currently only able to offer this opportunity to postgraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Application Process and Key Dates

1. Read the Programme Guidance Notes for 2027 – Available here.
2. Download the Application Form as a Word document and complete.
3. Submit a copy of your CV and your completed Application Form by email to Dr Anna Woodham (anna.woodham@kcl.ac.uk) by Tuesday 17^th November, 12 Noon.
4. Any applications from MPhil or PhD students must include confirmation in their covering email that they have received permission from their lead supervisor to apply for the fellowship scheme. Please also CC your supervisor to your application.
5. Complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form. This is voluntary and anonymous.

We welcome applications in written, audio or video format.

Deadline: 12 noon, Tuesday 17^th November 2026

In the interest of fairness, late applications will not be accepted. Please note that places are limited, and competition will be strong.

Selection

A University panel will review all applications against the questions in the application form. Between two and five students will be shortlisted for each place available and will be put forward to the British Council for final selection. All applicants will be informed as to whether or not their application was shortlisted by King’s. Online interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place in the week beginning 30^th November 2026. The British Council will review the shortlisted applications and notify the final candidates by February 2027.

Pre-Fellowship Training

Successful applicants will receive full training by the British Council prior to beginning their Fellowship. This will include participating in compulsory online training and collaborative workshops from February and April 2027 to know more about Venice, La Biennale and British Pavilion exhibition content. It also provides a chance to network and meet others in the cohort of Fellows with whom you will be working during your time in Venice.

Through their training and experience in supporting the exhibition at the British Pavilion, Fellows will learn techniques for enhancing a visitor’s understanding and expanding their perspectives on the show. The stewarding experience provides them with valuable work experience and confidence in contributing to a gallery setting.

Post-Fellowship Expectations

After the Fellowship, students who have been supported will be expected to engage with the (online or in person) cultural events of King's to help encourage other students to take part in future opportunities. This may include documenting their experience via the creation of public-facing blog posts, photographs, videos, etc.

Further Information

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

Any Questions?

Q&A sessions for interested candidates will be held by the British Council on the following dates via Teams:

• Wednesday 21st October 2026, 12pm-1pm BST Register here: Teams link
• Wednesday 18th November 2026, 12pm-1pm GMT Register here: Teams link

Both sessions will cover the same topics:

1. Overview of the 2027 Fellowships Programme Application Guidelines.
2. Experiences from 2026 Fellows.
3. Support and guidance for completing the 2027 application form.

King's will not receive a recording. Please attend if you would like to receive the information.

An additional information session will be held at King’s College London, date TBC.