Spike Island is delighted to announce Joe Lyward as the recipient of the second Engagement Fellowship for South West-based Curators 2026–27, in partnership with Hauser & Wirth.

Lyward will work alongside teams at Spike Island and Hauser & Wirth Somerset to develop and deliver ‘Should we Plant a Tree?’, a year-long programme of events and activities as part of Spike Island’s Engagement programme.

Should we Plant a Tree? invites young people and local underrepresented communities to explore our relationships to our futures and futures beyond ourselves. Through a programme of discussions, field trips and workshops with artists, we will reflect on what we care about, and what needs to be cared for—co-creating our own proposal for a 100-year project.

We can imagine this programme as a habitat for catalysing change, supporting agency and ambitions, and signalling a deep commitment to the future. Could a one-year programme last 100 years?

This opportunity is the second of three Engagement Fellowships for South West-based curators taking place between 2025 and 2028, kindly supported by Hauser & Wirth. The three-year initiative will connect Spike Island and Hauser & Wirth’s Learning and Engagement programmes, aiming to support the professional development of artists, young people and independent art workers based in the region.

Joe Lyward

Joe Lyward is a curator based in Penzance. His work encourages artistic engagement and interpretation through supporting community-led projects and exhibition making. He has a special interest in practices of care, creative ecologies, and in reinvigorating modern artworks through dialogues with contemporary practices and new audiences.

He is curator of Hweg, an independent project space located within a former shop and home in Penzance, and Assistant Curator for Young People (Partnerships) at Tate St Ives. Previous roles include Engagement Officer at The Box, Plymouth; Learning Facilitator at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge; and City Coordinator for British Art Show 9 in Plymouth.

Partners and Supporters

Hauser & Wirth Learning

Hauser & Wirth is committed to inclusive learning programs that create a dialogue between art, artists and diverse audiences. Ongoing global projects are centered on three core pillars: to engage with communities; enrich academic courses; and foster better access to art careers through a series of meaningful partnerships. Operating beyond the physical spaces of Hauser & Wirth locations, the longstanding learning program recognises art as a vehicle for personal and collective discovery, driven by the work of the gallery’s artists. The learning team collaborates with a range of cultural organisations and non-profit partners, facilitating an exchange of ideas and new perspectives to bring an expanded learning experience.

Find out more at their website.