(Click here to download these guidelines. These guidelines are only applicable to our general call for applications. Click here for a guide to the Bellagio Center applications.)
The Artists In Residency (AIR) Programme accepts submissions from emerging, mid-career and senior level artists across artistic discipline i.e. visual arts, performing arts, curatorial practice, performing arts, music, creative writing and literature who are either self-taught or formally trained in their respective discipline.
RESIDENCY CRITERIA
Applicants must:
- Be over 21 years of age;
- Have a valid passport;
- Be from the African continent and must minimally reside in Africa for six months of the year, and
- Display a high proficiency in English
SELECTION PROCESS
Applicants are shortlisted by a panel of AIR staff, strategic partners and seasoned art practitioners (curators, collectors, and art critics) who form part of the extensive Africa Centre network. Artists will be shortlisted based on the quality of their work/portfolio, written narrative (i.e. the ability to adequately process and respond to the application questions) as well as their previous experience and history of developing artistic work that advances social change and transformation in their communities.
APPLICATION METHODS
Applications can be made through the following avenues
1. Online Applications Portal:
Visit the Africa Centre AIR website to apply via our Online Application Portal
2. E-mail Application:
Download the General Application form here and send your application directly to airsubmissions@africacentre.net. Please ensure that all attachments are less than 5MB. Be sure to add the artistic discipline you are applying under i.e. visual arts/performing arts; music, etc followed by a dash and your full name in the email subject field. If your attachments are larger than 5MB, you can upload them using Google Drive and share a link to the folder with us. You may also use Dropbox or WeTransfer. These are all free services.
3. Submitting via Post:
If you cannot use any of the above methods, you may download a version of the ‘For Post’ version of the application form here. Fill it in and post it to us. Be sure to include an e-mail address and phone number where we can contact you.
Postal Address:
THE PROJECT MANAGER: ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAMME
C/O THE AFRICA CENTRE, 5TH FLOOR
THE EXCHANGE BUILDING
28 ST. GEORGE’S MALL
CAPE TOWN, 8000, SOUTH AFRICA
PARTICIPATING RESIDENCY PROGRAMMES
BUNDANON TRUST – AUSTRALIA
The Bundanon property is located on 1,100 hectares of pristine bush land overlooking the Shoalhaven River, near Nowra, two and a half hours south of Sydney. This backdrop provides an inspirational haven for artists to pursue their practice. Bundanon Trust’s AIR programme supports the development of artists’ new work, research and collaboration. Bundanon was given to the Australian people in 1993 by Arthur Boyd, one of Australia’s most eminent painters of the late 20th Century.
Genre /discipline of artists the residency attracts: Open to professional artists from all disciplines.
Special amenities inclusive in the residency: Separate studio space; high-speed internet access; transport once a week into local town for shopping supplies; and travel assistance from the nearest transport hub to the Bundanon property. The cost of food and local transport is not covered in this residency.
Requirements for artists seeking a place in the residency: The applicant needs to be self-sufficient and have the ability to work independently in a remote, quite isolated location in a regional area with little access to shops or a business centre.
Provisional dates of the residency – one of the following four-week periods:
- Mon 8 May to Mon 5 June 2017
- Mon 3 July to Mon 31 July 2017
- Mon 2 Oct to Mon 30 Oct 2017
Website: https://bundanon.com.au/residencies/
THE FOUNTAINHEAD RESIDENCY – USA
The Fountainhead Residency was founded by collectors Dan and Kathryn Mikesell in early 2008. Later in 2008 they opened The Fountainhead Studios, which now provides over 41 Miami-based artists with affordable, flexible studio space. In 2012, they opened The Fountainhead Haus, which provides 5 Miami-based artists unique working and collaborative space. The Fountainhead Residency was founded with several goals; to provide artists an opportunity to find new inspiration (a fountainhead), to introduce visiting artists to Miami’s art community and its many supporters, and to infuse Miami with artistic inspiration from around the world, enabling the local our art institutions based in Miami to realise more ambitious shows.
Genre /discipline of artists the residency attracts: Emerging artists to well-established artists.
Special amenities inclusive in the residency: Living and working accommodation; studio visits by local art professionals; introduction to Miami’s art community; access to museums and private collections; and a collaborative, engaging and supportive environment.
Selection Criteria: Dedication to their practice; open-mindedness; desire to interact with other artists in residency and our community; and willingness to be a part of a family.
Provisional dates of the residency: 2nd half of 2017. The specific dates will be discussed with the AIR award laureate.
Website: http://www.fountainheadresidency.com/
HANDSHAKE 302 – CHINA
The Handshake 302 Art Space is a repurposed, 12.5 m2 efficiency apartment on the third floor of Shangbaishi Building 49, a six-story walk-up apartment building in Baishizhou, one of Shenzhen’s largest urban villages. The core group of five members started Handshake for two reasons. First, we were interested in creating a venue that would nourish young artists. Second, we believe that art thrives to the extent that it engages the city’s gritty dreams.
Outside of the Pearl River Delta, Baishizhou would be called a “working class neighbourhood”. The neighbourhood supports a diverse and rich social ecology, comprising workshops for the production of control board prototypes, design and architecture studios, as well as logistic transfer stations. Baishizhou has wet and upscale food markets, convenience shops and hardware stores, and also boasts at Kendo studio, a hacker workshop, a coffee shop, two microbreweries, and a cocktail bar that features cutting edge electronic music and avant-garde films. The diversity of housing options in Baishizhou means that recent college graduates, architects, foreign English teachers, and middling white-collar workers live next to working class families, small shop owners, beauticians, foot washers, vegetable stand owners, and garbage collectors. Baishizhou shelters an estimated 140,000 people and even more Shenzheners have used Baishizhou as a springboard for realising their personal dreams.
Genre / discipline of artists the residency attracts: We are open to working with artists in every discipline, however, work space is limited and so we encourage the applications of artists who are looking to intervene into the neighbourhood.
Special amenities inclusive in the residency: We provide artists with introductions to “village friends,” young business owners who operate in the neighbourhood; we also introduce artists to potential collaborators; we introduce artists to Shenzhen, including landmark neighbourhoods such as Huaqiangbei and Overseas Chinese Town.
Selection criteria: Preference will be given to projects dedicated to urban creativity, have a social vision, and engage Baishizhou in some way.
Provisional dates: Anytime after April 2017; we will determine dates with artist after the selection has been made.
Duration of residency: four to eight weeks
Residency expectations: The residency is loosely organised around weekly open houses, where the artist meets with people interested in the ongoing development of the project. Interested parties come from both within and outside Baishizhou. The final project will be open to anyone in the neighbourhood and city.
Website: www.handshake302.com
INSTITUTO SACATAR – BRAZIL
Sacatar provides selected artists of all creative disciplines the opportunity to create new work and to interact and/or collaborate within the rich cultural heritage of Bahia, Brazil. Sacatar occupies a 9000sm oceanfront property on the island of Itaparica, a forty-minute boat ride from Salvador, the colonial capital of Brazil and the crucible of African-Brazilian culture.
Genre /discipline of artists the residency attracts: The opportunity is open to artists of any discipline
Special amenities inclusive in the residency: A private suite; a separate studio appropriate to the artist’s discipline and additional logistic support, including meals (except Saturday evenings, Sundays and Brazilian holidays); laundry service and local contacts consistent with the artist’s interests.
Provisional dates of the residency: Anytime from March – December 2017
Duration of residency: Eight weeks
Website: http://sacatar.org/
JIWAR CREATION AND SOCIETY – SPAIN
Jiwar Creation and Society is a project that finds its inspiration from the Mediterranean tradition of Jiwar, an Arab word which literally means neighbourhood. Jiwar refers to the art of establishing a creative and sustainable relation between neighbours in a district. Located in a heritage house in the city of Barcelona, Jiwar Residence offers a unique platform for inter-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange and is open to all professionals who create and reflect on urban space, and whose work uses the city as a material for inspiration or investigation.
Genre /discipline of artists the residency attracts: This year JIWAR is making a special provision for two visual artists.
Special amenities inclusive in the residency: Free internet access, coordination work to facilitate the creative process of every resident, contact with media, once a week cleaning. At least one event is organized around the project of the selected resident. Through the support of the African Arts Trust, JIWAR will cover the residency costs for the selected artists.
Selection criteria: JIWAR is seeks visual artists from the East Africa region. Preference for projects dedicated to urban creativity, creative projects that have a social vision and involve local communities.
Duration of residency: Six weeks
Provisional dates of residency:
- February – March 2017
- June-July 2017
Residency expectations: Jiwar invites the residents to organize an event whereby they can showcase and share their project to local audience and professionals. This showcase could be in the form of an open studio, performance, readings, exhibition, etc, depending on the nature of the resident’s project. The selected artists will also be required to give an artwork.
Website: http://jiwarbarcelona.com/ & https://vimeo.com/159488624
KHOJ – INDIA
Khoj International Artists’ Association is a not-for-profit artist-led initiative based in New Delhi that aims to connect creative practitioners and catalyse interdisciplinary collaboration. Known for its experimental nature, contemporary visual artists are invited to create works that may not find space or favour within a traditional gallery structure. As part of its mandate, Khoj offers residency opportunities to Indian and international artists, building networks and informed audiences who engage critically with contemporary art in India. All Khoj residencies are carefully curated around a particular theme offering artists and practitioners the opportunity to work in close conversation with the other artists-in-residence.
Special amenities inclusive in the residency: Selected applicants will receive studio space and accommodation at Khoj, as well as curatorial and administrative support to realize proposed projects. Khoj supports national and international travel for selected applicants where possible.
Selection criteria: Khoj is happy to accept proposals from artists whose artistic work investigate issues related to the thematics of ecology, science OR gaming, but this not mandatory. Successful candidates are selected on the on basis of their project proposals as well as on the strength of past works. Heavier consideration is given to proposals that are experimental in nature and to those projects that push the envelope of contemporary art.
Duration of residency: four – six weeks
Residency expectations: Although Khoj does not insist that work created in the residency be totally finished, Khoj’s residencies are built to culminate in an Open Day, where all the artists in residence are asked to show the work that they have created during their time at Khoj. As such, all artists who are invited to be in residence are expected to participate in the Open Day.
Website: http://www.khojworkshop.org
Application deadline: September 30th 2016