Are you a University student with a passion for Contemporary Art? Would you like to spend a minimum of two months in Venice assisting in the running of the Malta Pavilion at the International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia between April and November 2022?

ERASMUS+ application forms for Student Traineeship Mobilities are available from the University of Malta International Office webpage.

 

Who Is eligible to apply?

Registered UM students, including students who are in their final year of study may also apply to undertake a traineeship mobility within the following year of their graduation.

 

How do I apply for an Erasmus+ Grant?

Students interested in applying for a traineeship are to submit the Erasmus+ application form online. There is no deadline as funds are available on a first come first served basis.

The application form may be found here: https://forms.gle/kDh49uKjjE2kgpcLA

 

Students’ Erasmus+ Application forms will be placed on a reserve list until students are able to submit an endorsement letter issued by Arts Council Malta. The endorsement letter needs to indicate the exact start and end dates of the traineeship mobility period. It must be issued on a letterhead and must also be signed and stamped by Arts Council Malta. Kindly ensure that the minimum required duration of two months is satisfied. To obtain the endorsement letter from Arts Council Malta, send us an email on venicebiennale@artscouncil.mt or to nikki.petroni.1@artscouncil.mt

 

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact the International Office at the University of Malta for further details.

 

For more information on the Malta Pavilion have a look here.

 

Detailed programme of the traineeship

Students will get a hands-on experience overseeing the daily operations of the Malta Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia, the biggest contemporary art biennale in the world, while being immersed in the cultural and artistic life of the city of Venice. The traineeship at the Biennale di Venezia is aimed at enabling the student to engage fluently with the content of the exhibition in Venice. The Biennale di Venezia has been operating since 1895 and most of the famous international contemporary artists and curators exhibit there. The student will get a very clear understanding of what is involved in the running of a National Pavilion at such a big international art event. The student's main tasks will involve assisting the site officers and the curator in the day to day running of the Malta Pavilion, within an international context. To foster cultural exchange and enhance the trainee’s local experience in Venice, the foreign site officers will also be art students, studying contemporary art and arts management. The site officers will be working side-by-side with the students at the Malta Pavilion. This allows further engagement with Italian customs, language and knowledge. The trainee will also have the opportunity to network with the other international site officers, interns and artists of the other international Pavilions at the Biennale di Venezia. The student will also have the opportunity to meet the international curators and artists taking part in the exhibitions. Tasks at the Malta Pavilion include assisting the site officers at the Malta Pavilion during opening hours to the public, assisting visitors, presenting the exhibition to them and giving guided tours. Trainees assist in the daily operation of the exhibition approximately four full days a week. They prepare the pavilion prior to the opening, guard the exhibition, answer questions from the public and close the pavilion at the end of the day. The trainee will be helping in the communication of the Pavilion, as thousands of international visitors attend the Biennale in Venice, and the trainees are expected to provide information about the participating artists and the objects exhibited at the Malta Pavilion, as well as explain the concept of the curators to the visitors. They will also be taking note of the international press and media and providing them with information and material should they request this. The trainee shall assist the site officers in administration, social media, PR, conduct tours for groups of the exhibition, and assist in record keeping.

Knowledge, skills and competences to be acquired by the end of the traineeship (expected Learning Outcomes)

This traineeship is a learning experience for all who take part, allowing students to gain practical experience of exhibition operations, familiarising themselves with the biggest contemporary art biennale in the world. After the internship the student should have a good understanding of the running of a National Pavilion of such a large international scale and should learn how to communicate contemporary visual art to an international audience. Since they will be exposed to the latest trends in the international contemporary art scene, they will be able to use this in their own artistic work.

They should have also a very good understanding of how the art scene works “behind the scenes”, the organisation, co-ordination and the management involved. They will gain insight on the outcome of the intense research process undertaken by the curators, program development, art administration, PR, installation experience and exhibition making.

Monitoring plan

Daily monitoring will be carried out by the site officers working at the Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.