Overview

In addition to our year-round open calls and grants, which support emerging and established artists working in contemporary art, below is a compiled list of reputable local, regional and international open calls, opportunities and residencies for artists and art practitioners. In keeping with Sharjah Art Foundation’s commitment to supporting the community, this reference tool, updated on a regular basis, includes grants, exhibitions and educational opportunities.

Vantage Point Sharjah 11
Sharjah Art Foundation
Deadline: 10 June 2023

Sharjah Art Foundation announces its open call for the 2023 iteration of Vantage Point Sharjah (VPS), its annual photography exhibition. VPS11 will identify five talented emerging artists from, or based in, Africa and Asia who use photography as a central medium in their practice, exhibit their work and mentor them.

The five selected artists will get to present their work in a group exhibition, which will take place from 18 October 2023 to 10 March 2024 in Old Al Diwan Al Amiri in Al Hamriyah. They will be encouraged to present their work in creative formats, using a small amount of production funds provided by the Foundation. The artists will also be paired with a professional in their field, who will conduct a series of one-on-one mentoring sessions with them.

https://sharjahart.org/sharjah-art-foundation/exhibitions/vantage-point-sharjah-11


Open Call: Self Organizations
Mophradat, Brussels
Deadline: 15 June 2023

Self Organizations is a program that offers support to projects where different arts practitioners take the initiative and join forces to define a mutual resource or interest that’s important for their work, and propose how to share or develop it. Arts practitioners from all disciplines and stages of their careers are welcome to apply. Priority will be given to proposals taking place within the Arab world.

https://mophradat.org/en/program/self-organizations/

Call For Applications: Mentorship Building Beyond
Prince Claus Fund, Amsterdam
Deadline: 15 June 2023

Mid-career artists, designers and creatives with 5–10 years of experience in architecture, design or spatial practice, whose work is dedicated to (re)imaging the future of their African city are invited to apply to the Building Beyond Mentorship Programme.

The programme consists of peer group sessions, guest speaker sessions and two in-person intensives in the form of ‘Lab Weeks’—one in the African continent, and one in the Netherlands. In addition, each participant receives an award of 10,000 EUR and guidance from mentors to work on the concept for a body of work that is outlined in their application.

https://princeclausfund.org/open-calls/call-for-applications-building-beyond-2023

Final Cut in Venice: The Call for the 11th Edition
La Biennale di Venezia
Deadline: 19 June 2023

The 11th edition of the Final Cut in Venice workshop will take place from 3–5 September 2023 as part of the Venice Production Bridge of the 80th Venice International Film Festival. Since 2013, Final Cut in Venice has provided concrete assistance to complete quality films from Africa and the Middle East.

During the workshop, up to six selected films-in-progress will be presented to producers, buyers, distributors and film festival programmers. There will also be opportunities for networking in which directors and producers will be able to engage with the participants.

https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/final-cut-venice-call-11th-edition-now-open

Masaha Residency – Cycle 6
Misk Art Institute, Riyadh
Deadline: 30 June 2023

The sixth cycle of Misk Art Institute’s biannual Masaha Residency invites 10 emerging visual artists and two Saudi Arabic writers to interpret the future of tradition through visual art, conceptualising imagined futures of the Kingdom, the region and the world.

https://miskartinstitute.org/Residencies/Details?q=aWQ9MTcw

Call for Submissions: 2023 Arab Film Festival
Mizna, Saint Paul, USA
Deadline: 30 June 2023

Mizna’s 2023 Twin Cities Arab Film Festival seeks films for their upcoming festival scheduled for 27 September–1 October 2023 as well as their ongoing monthly film series. The festival accepts narrative, documentary, experimental and animated films of feature and short lengths. They seek films made by filmmakers from the SWANA region and beyond as well as films relevant to the social realities of the SWANA region.

https://mizna.org/event/call-for-submissions-2023-arab-film-festival/

Cinema Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 July 2023

The Cinema grant is open to all kinds of fiction film projects. The programme welcomes submissions of short- and medium-length narrative films in production and post-production and feature narratives that are in development, production or post-production phases.

The programme provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand USD up to a maximum of 10,000 USD for Development grants, up to 50,000 USD for Production and a maximum of 25,000 USD for Post-production grants.

Projects may be implemented anywhere as long as they are created by Arab filmmakers.

https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/12

Training and Regional Events Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 July 2023

The Training and Regional Events grant supports trainings and workshops in different cultural and artistic fields, in addition to residencies, symposiums, forums and festivals (multidisciplinary, music, film, performing arts, visual arts, literature…).

The programme provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand USD up to a maximum of 25,000 USD for individuals and teams and 35,000 USD for institutions and collectives.

AFAC is open to receive project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture.

https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/16

Music Grant
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, Beirut
Deadline: 4 July 2023

The Music grant supports production, performances, collaborations, album recordings and festivals.

The programme provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand USD up to a maximum of 25,000 USD for individuals and teams and 35,000 USD for institutions and collectives.

AFAC is open to receiving project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture.

https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/15

The information shared here has been sourced from the online platforms of the listed institutions.