Open Call for Participants for Curatorial Intensive in Cape Town

July 29, 2019

This November, Independent Curators International (ICI) will organize the Curatorial Intensive in Cape Town, South Africa in collaboration with the Institute for Creative Arts at the University of Cape Town. The program will coincide with ‘Infecting the City,’ the longest running public arts festival in South Africa, curated by Jay Pather. The program will take place from November 13th to 20th, 2019.

The Curatorial Intensive, a weeklong professional development program, offers curators the opportunity to discuss among colleagues the concepts, logistics and challenges of organizing exhibitions, public programs and other curatorial models. This program is the sixth Curatorial Intensive in Africa since 2013, following past iterations in Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Marrakech, Dakar and Accra.

Indoni Dance, Arts and Leadership Academy, ‘Inkululeko’, Infecting the City 2016 // Photo: Oscar O’Ryan

The Curatorial Intensive is designed to immerse participants in a rigorous schedule of seminars, presentations, site visits and one-on-one meetings that support the process of developing an idea for a project into a full proposal. It is a unique opportunity to forge a close network of peers and embark on future collaborations. This program is targeted toward self-motivated individuals at an early stage in their career, working independently or within institutions.

Twelve to fourteen applicants working internationally will be selected to participate in this year’s program. The applicant must have three or more years of curatorial experience, or a similar track record of organizing cultural projects. All applications must include a 500-word description of an exhibition or project that the applicant would like help in developing. This description should outline the proposal concept and any artists or work under consideration. Also required are a current 250-word bio, a 500-word letter of intent and a 300-word text that describes a recent curatorial project that has made an impact on the applicant.

The program fee is 1,900 USD. Participants are also responsible for covering travel and accommodation expenses. Generous scholarship packages that subsidize or eliminate the program fees, accommodation and travel costs are available and awarded based on merit. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please include a letter of motivation with your application.