Our Residency Programs

Engage. Create. Impact.

Our Residency Programs are designed for curators and art writers with a strong interest in contemporary African art. The exhibitions developed and produced by ARAK Collection are designed to be impactful and are all associated with relevant public programming.

currently offered

Curatorial Fellowship

ARAK is pleased to announce the open call for the 2025–26Curatorial Fellowship Programme. Established in 2020 to support young and mid-career curators based on the African continent, the 2025-26 iteration is held in partnership with the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) Gallery.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

It will provide two curators with an opportunity to research, develop, and realise an exhibition of works from the ARAK Collection, as well as to write / edit the accompanying catalogue.

The Fellowship will run for a ten-month period, from 1 May2025 – 28 February 2026, following an initial visit to the collection in Doha, Qatar, in April 2025.

Successful applicants are supported throughout the course of the Fellowship, from the development of their concept to the final realisation of their exhibitions, which will take place at the FADA Gallery in2026. This includes a monthly stipend of $400 for the duration of the Fellowship (total: US$4000), logistical support from ARAK’s core team, as well as mentorship from our Advisory Committee—comprised of Tandazani Dhlakama, Heba El Kayal, Thembinkosi Goniwe, and Ashraf Jamal—and on the ground support from the FADA Gallery team.

APPLICATIONS:

Applicants are invited to submit a proposal based on their curatorial interests in the collection via our online application portal. In addition to completing the online application form—which includes space for a motivational letter and proposed project—please ensure that your application includes the required uploads, namely:

1) your most recent CV (in either PDF or MS Word format, including mention and, if possible, links to select / relevant curatorial projects).
2) 3 writing samples (in either MS Word or PDF format, which may include reviews, articles, or academic essays that you feel most relevant to your research interests).
3) A breakdown of your proposed budget (in eitherExcel, PDF, or MS Word format, indicating, by way of percentage, how youthink you may use / allocate the budget provided. This is intended todemonstrate an understanding of budgetary requirements and to ascertain whereemphasis will be placed in the realisation of your project, rather than aconcrete blueprint for the allocation of funds).

SELECTION PROCESS

Proposals will be reviewed by ARAK’s core curatorial team,with input from the Advisory Committee and host institution. Interviews will be conducted with shortlisted candidates, with successful applicants notified on 7March 2025.
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APPLICATION TIMELINE:
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Application deadline: 8 February 2025
Interviews: 22 February – 1 March 2025
Notification of acceptance: 7 March 2025
Travel to Doha: 5 – 9 April 2025

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Art Writers Fellowship

Designed for art writers, critics, and journalists, this residency provides the space to produce insightful essays, articles, and publications. Through direct engagement with the ARAK Collection, participants will develop a publication project.

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At ARAK Collection, we support artists as innovative producers, curators as visionaries that think of new ways to look at the world, art, culture and life in general.

We invite you to apply, and be part of the ARAK Collection Annual Residency Fellowship Programs.

Residents