Harriet Cooper is a curator from Manchester currently based in London. She is Head of Visual Arts at Jerwood Arts where she is responsible for developing and leading their visual arts work including projects, partnerships, funding, research and awards. She curates Jerwood Arts’ exhibition programme in London and on tour around the UK.
Prior to this Harriet held roles at Firstsite, Colchester; the British Council, London; Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield; Tate Liverpool, Liverpool; and The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. She was co-curator of Phyllida Barlow’s commission folly for the British Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 and developed the commission Not Yet At Ease with Raqs Media Collective for 14-18 NOW in 2018. She is an Independent Member of the Cymru yn Fenis Wales in Venice Advisory Committee 2020-2024.
In her own curatorial practice Harriet is committed to supporting UK-based early-career artists and curators to create new work and develop their practices, considering the conditions and care that can create the best environment for this. In 2022-2023 she is leading the pilot of Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator a curatorial and leadership development programme for early-career curators from low socio-economic backgrounds, in partnership with eight organisations across the UK.
