South-South Arts Fellowships
We, Living Arts International (LAI), are a non-profit organisation which believes that the arts are at the heart of a vital society. Our vision is for a peaceful, sustainable future with living arts as a catalyst for change. At LAI, we are the organisation that connects Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) and Mekong Cultural Hub (MCH), both of which have been supporting cultural workers in Cambodia, southeast Asia and beyond, since 1998 and 2018 respectively.
The South-South Arts Fellowships 2022 aim to nurture wider and deeper connections among cultural workers within the Global South. The Fellowships will support initiatives that enable long-term professional networks, alliances and collaborations among cultural workers living and working in developing economies in Africa (including North Africa), Asia (including West Asia and Central Asia) and the Pacific. We, at Living Arts International (LAI), are launching this Fellowship as our pilot international program, as we are acutely aware of the limited support available for South-South connectivity in arts, culture and heritage.
Five Fellowships are being offered in 2022. Selection is through an open call for applications. Fellows will be expected to bring an initiative with them, which they have already been developing in some way and through which they intend to deepen and strengthen network building over the period of the Fellowship. Selected fellows will work on their proposed initiatives over six months from July to December 2022 – they will organise two virtual or hybrid activities during this period. They will be offered different forms of support (such as a stipend, activity grant and feedback from advisors).
Fellows will collaborate and share learnings and findings among themselves. They will also contribute to a public report mapping opportunities, challenges, gaps and needs regarding South-South cultural connectivity. It is our hope that the fellows and their initiatives will reinforce sustainable South-South links where they would be most meaningful.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN TO:
- Individuals/collectives/teams or groups working in arts, culture and/or heritage sectors, who are actively involved in bringing together and creating opportunities for creative practitioners and cultural workers in the Global South. Applicants should be able to demonstrate interest and professional experience in curating, programming and/or organizing transnational exchange and collaborations in the focus regions. (Note: if you are applying as a collective or team/group, it will be counted as one Fellowship).
- Citizens of developing economies in Africa (including North Africa), Asia (including West Asia and Central Asia) and the Pacific.1 Applicants are expected to be (a) citizens of any of the countries/territories listed in footnote 1 and (b) to be residing and working in any of these eligible countries/territories. Both conditions must be met.
- Individuals/collectives/teams who are already developing an initiative that responds to a specific gap in South-South connectivity in arts, culture and/or heritage
HOW TO APPLY:
Applicants are invited to apply with an initiative that addresses a specific gap in South-South cultural exchange. We are especially interested in proposals that aim to create sustainable links where they would be most meaningful. Initiatives proposed should already be in some stage of development. Applications should be made in English; applications will be assessed on the quality of the ideas presented and not the basis of proficiency in the English language. Answers to some long-form questions may be given in audio or video format. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a virtual interview. Please read the FAQ and Glossary carefully before applying. FAQ, Glossary and Application Form are available on our website: https://www.connectingsouth.org/
TIMELINE:
- Deadline for applications is 15 May 2022
- Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place in late May-early June 2022
- Selected fellows will be informed in early June 2022
- Initial consultations with Fellowship advisors will take place in June 2022
- Fellowship runs for 6 months from July to December 2022 (fellows are expected to organize their virtual or hybrid activities within this window of time)
