Starts4Africa Residencies Programme – Call For Artists 2024

Published: 24 Jan 2024 718 views

STARTS4AFRICA is pleased to announce the Call for Artists for the first STARTS Residency Programme fully dedicated to promoting Sub-Saharan Africa innovation at the nexus of Science + Technology + Arts.

Through 6-month residencies, STARTS4AFRICA will enhance art-driven innovation in four African countries: Senegal, Ghana, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

This pioneering initiative will allow artists to address regional challenges around Food and Water, Digital Mapping and Speculative Landscapes, Culture and Coding, Wearable Technology and Smart Textile, Immersive Storytelling, Rethinking Sustainable Construction, and Speculative Urbanism.

STARTS4AFRICA will support selected applicants through a programme that includes a 6-month residency starting in March 2024, as well as multiple exhibitions and events during the residency period and thereafter until November 2024.

The duration of each residency is 8 months in total (6-month residency + 2-month outreach) and includes 5 phases:

Starts4Africa Residencies Programme

Application Deadline	February 18, 2024
Value	€ 35.000
Type	Postgraduate
Sponsor	STARTS4AFRICA
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of Starts4Africa Residencies Programme

Up to € 35.000 budget for artists residencies

• Up to EUR 35.000 budget for artists residencies to cover the artist fee, the organisation and participation at artistic exhibitions/events and other relevant costs to ensure the successful implementation of the project (including but not limited to artwork/prototype production);
• Access to resources/facilities provided by the Residency Host Institution;
• Assistance from the Local Expert Group 
• Participation in an individualised Mentoring Programme (including business-specific and tech/sci-related sessions);
• Access to the Europe-wide S+T+ARTS network;
• Participation at the S+T+ARTS4AFRICA Community events (online and on-site);
• Considered participation in exhibitions showcasing the outcomes of the residencies at Ars Electronica Festival in September 2024 in Linz and/or other festivals and venues upon selection; and
• Visibility through high-impact communication activities to promote the artistic output and its innovation spillovers.

Requirements for Starts4Africa Residencies Programme

Expected outputs from artists

• Producing a tangible, presentable and art-driven innovation output addressing a local challenge, in the form of an artwork or a functional or speculative artistic prototype;
• Providing (at the beginning of the residency) a descriptive abstract of the art-driven innovation output and a development plan describing the objectives, actions, timetable and setup necessary for implementing it;
• Participating and organising online or on-site local/ national events, masterclasses, and seminars to (i) share experience in participating in STARTS4AFRICA Residency program; (ii) ensure the promotion of residency results. Participation in at least 6 online or on-site local/ national events is expected, as well as in international events (these events will be discussed, agreed and co-organized with the Residency Host Institutions);
• Actively participate in the dissemination and communication efforts of the Residency, sharing posts on social media, producing articles to be shared on websites (such as starts.eu), participating in written/audio/video interviews; and,
• Contributing to the Impact Assessment Analysis undertaken by STARTS4AFRICA Consortium and the Residency Host Institutions.

Selection Process

Admissibility Criteria

STARTS4AFRICA calls for proposals from an individual artist or a collective of artists, with previous experience: 

• Nationals or permanent residents in any country in Sub-Saharan Africa; OR,  
• Artistic teams mixing artists from Europe and from Sub-Saharan African countries

Please read the full list of admissibility criteria in the Call – Guide for Applicants.

Important Dates:

• January 17, 2024: Call for Artists is launched
• January 25, 2024: Info Session on STARTS4AFRICA Residencies Programme and Open Call (11h00-12h30 CET)
• February 18, 2024: Deadline for proposals submission (18 Feb 2024, 17h00 Central European Time)
• February 23-27, 2024: Jury Day – possible dates
• February 29, 2024: Announcement of selected artists
• March 2024: STARTS4AFRICA Residencies Programme initiates

Application Documents

The Application Form is composed of:

• Online form (available here): administrative information, declarations, etc.;
• Artistic Proposal (Template document to be downloaded here and uploaded into the Online Form);
• Your Curriculum Vitae (to be uploaded into the Online Form);
• Your Portfolio (to be uploaded into the Online Form).

Application Deadline

February 18, 2024

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to STARTS4AFRICA on form.jotform.com to apply