Curate-It
We believe that each curator has a unique way of viewing and appreciating cinema, and therefore think that a number of curators should be involved in selecting what is shown on screen.
Through this, we want to de-centre the singular gaze often perpetuated through film institutions and open it out to more curators. To do so we want to forge connections with institutions and organisations both within the UK and internationally.
We created Curate-It in order to democratise film curation, the course provides participants with all they need to know to implement their own screening event. We want to make knowledge about film curation easily accessible within a digital space and have created an eight-step programme to teach participants about film theory, film curation and the practical and logistical elements needed to create film events.
The eight steps – Watch-it, Analyse-it, Curate-it, Finance-it, Market-it, Execute-it, Evaluate-it and Screen-it – consist of written information, activities, tailored reading lists, videos featuring film experts sharing their knowledge, and the ability to show films on a public facing VoD platform.
Find out more at curate-it.co.uk
Programmes
Below are some of the programmes we have worked on:
BFI Film Academy – A UK-wide initiative run by the British Film Institute that provides hands-on training and industry insight for young people aged 16–19. Curate-It was integrated into the BFI Film Academy training programme in 2024 and 2025, offering 30 participants the opportunity to develop curatorial skills and gain practical experience in film exhibition.
June Givanni Pan-African Cinema Archive Fellowship – An 8-week traineeship (October–December 2025) delivered in partnership between the June Givanni Pan-African Cinema Archive and Curate-It. Three Glasgow-based participants engaged with Pan-African cinema and archival practice, developing curatorial, research and programming skills through the Curate-It model. They received guided training, mentoring and hands-on experience working with a globally significant Black-led archive.
EFM Startups – Berlinale (2025) – Curate-It was selected to participate in the European Film Market’s Startups initiative at the Berlinale, showcasing its innovative approach to curatorial training and connecting with international industry stakeholders, partners, and potential collaborators.
Futura Cinema – Experimentation Network (2025–26) – Curate-It was selected to participate alongside three other organisations in this 15-month European initiative led by Futura Cinema. The programme brings together cinemas, festivals and cultural institutions across Europe to test and develop innovative tools and methodologies for exhibition and audience engagement, supporting experimental approaches to film curation and presentation.
Dublin International Film Festival - In 2024 we collaborated with DIFF to take 15 participants, through a 14 week course and curate 6 film events as part of a mini-festival.
SAFAR Futures Young Curators programme (2023 / 2024) - We collaborated with the Arab British Centre on the delivery of their 2023 and 2024 editions of the SAFAR Futures Young Curators programme. We worked with 3 Arab-British curators who collectively curated a programme shown as part of the festival in the Barbican.
Curatorial Fellowship, Edinburgh International Film Festival - We partnered with the Edinburgh International Film Festival to offer Fellowships to participants who curated films/events as part of the 75th and 76th edition of the EIFF.
University of Glasgow, MsC in Film Curation - Students undertaking the Film Curation Masters at the University of Glasgow have been using Curate-It during their studies.