Creative practitioner grants

Artists collaborating on heritage narratives

This programme connects artists and creatives with heritage organisations to develop powerful narratives that make cultural heritage speak to contemporary audiences. Working in interdisciplinary clusters, you'll collaborate across borders and artistic disciplines to create meaningful co-productions that celebrate Southern African heritage.

Who can apply: Individual artists, creative practitioners, and artistic groups (up to 3 people) from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and EU countries. All creative disciplines are welcome including literature, film, music, dance, visual arts, installations, ceramics, fashion, photography, and digital arts.

What we support: Your participation in 6-month collaborative projects developing heritage narratives alongside other artists and heritage organisations. Activities include 2-week narrative development retreats, travel to working sessions, online collaboration, and presentation events. Co-production and presentation costs are covered by heritage organisations.

Collaboration approach: Each narrative cluster includes approximately 9 artists from at least 3 countries, ensuring geographical diversity and cross-cultural dialogue. Projects emphasise interdisciplinary approaches, combining different artistic practices to create rich, multi-layered interpretations of heritage themes.

Types of projects: Heritage-inspired productions that increase visibility and contemporary relevance of cultural sites and practices. Projects might explore traditional knowledge systems, sacred landscapes, oral histories, cultural practices, archaeological findings, or community traditions through contemporary artistic interpretation.

International dimension: Where heritage organisations identify value in European artistic perspectives, EU-based artists are welcomed to contribute their interpretations and collaborative approaches. Projects should demonstrate genuine cultural exchange rather than one-sided representation.

Financial support: Grants combine actual costs and lump sums including travel (up to €400 within Southern Africa, €1,800 from EU), accommodation (€70/night), daily allowances (€25/day), and artist stipends (€6,000 for full participation). Additional support available for applicants with children or accessibility needs.

Selection criteria: Applications assessed on relevance of narrative ideas to heritage themes, quality of past cultural production, technical capacity for project participation, and potential contribution to interdisciplinary collaboration. Selection ensures gender balance, geographical diversity, and artistic discipline representation.

How to apply: Open call process with applications reviewed by expert juries. Strong applications clearly connect artistic practice to heritage interpretation and demonstrate genuine interest in collaborative, cross-cultural creative processes. European artists apply when specifically invited by heritage organisations.

Launch Date: 15.11.2025
Cut-off Date: 15.01.2026
Implementation Phase: 01.03.2026 - 31.08.2026