Entries open for the Prince Claus Fund & Creative Industries Fund NL Building Beyond Mentorship Program (€10,000)

The Prince Claus Fund & Creative Industries Fund NL Building Beyond Mentorship Program presents a unique chance to shape the future of public spaces and communities in your African city. Our urban environments are not just mere living spaces. They are formed by the intersection and interaction of people, objects, spaces, and identities. The urban environment and its surroundings are constantly changing and evolving, with various factors such as access, boundaries, causation, and opportunities playing a role. However, as urbanization increases, cities are facing pressures from modernization, climate change, and growing populations, which have implications for how we live together in city spaces. Therefore, it is important to question the cities we are building and what we may be losing in the process.

African cities, along with their surroundings and sub-communities, are continuously merging the physical aspects of the city with the dynamics of the living city. They offer a sense of fluidity and adaptability that goes beyond the confines of the built environment. They allow us to examine the various aspects that our urban environments encompass. As we move forward in shaping our cities, we are prompted to ask important questions: Who gets to tell the story? Who gets to represent? Who gets to create? Who is invited to participate? Who belongs?

Benefits of the Prince Claus Fund & Creative Industries Fund NL Building Beyond Mentorship Program

• Building Beyond is a platform for artists to come together, reflect on their practice, and activate it within their local context. It is a space where ideas and universalities from across the continent are collectively assembled, with the aim of engaging with the built environment as an interpretive and changeable world. We support practices that involve the relational aspects of communities and public spaces.
• Our goal is to foster conversations on how resilience, humanity, and creativity in our urban environments can create opportunities for collectively imagined realities in the city.
• The initiative unites 12 skilled artists (± 7-15 years of relevant professional experience) who work in various mediums, approaches, and interpretations related to the main theme of the mentorship. With the guidance of four mentors, the Building Beyond cohort will engage in discussions, collaborations, and mutual learning over the span of a year.
• This will not only support each individual’s artistic journey but also facilitate connections between the cohort, its expanding network, and relevant external professionals. Building Beyond offers a range of online interactive activities, including peer group sessions and guest speaker sessions.
• Additionally, there will be two in-person meetings during the year known as ‘Lab Weeks’ (six-day intensive mentoring sessions)—one in Africa and one in the Netherlands. The programme includes two group projects for the cohort: a public event opportunity and a collective publication.
• Furthermore, each participant will receive a €10,000 award and mentorship to develop the concept for a body of work outlined in their application. Although there are no strict limitations on project plans or budgets, the proposed project by each participant will serve as a foundation for the programme’s content and direction.

 Eligibility Criteria: Prince Claus Fund & Creative Industries Fund NL Building Beyond Mentorship Program

This open call is specifically for individual artists and cultural practitioners who meet the following criteria:

1. Nationality and Residence: Applicants must be from and currently reside and work in one of the eligible countries listed below:
– Algeria
– Benin
– Burkina Faso
– Burundi
– Egypt
– Ethiopia
– Democratic Republic of Congo
– Ghana
– Kenya
– Libya
– Mali
– Mauritania
– Morocco
– Mozambique
– Niger
– Nigeria
– Uganda
– Rwanda
– Senegal
– Somalia
– Tanzania
– Tunisia
– Chad
– South Africa
– South-Sudan

2. Artistic Practice: Applicants must be artists, cultural practitioners, or creatives whose individual practice is related to architecture, design, spatial practice, public space, and urban communities. This call is open to individuals with diverse interdisciplinary practices within the broad definition of art and culture. However, individuals who work solely as arts managers, facilitators, academic researchers, or in other non-artistic roles are not eligible to apply.

3. Professional Experience: Applicants should have a minimum of 7-15 years of relevant professional experience. The Mentorship Award is specifically designed for individual artists who have engaged in professional artistic practice for at least this duration, regardless of their age. The counting of professional experience starts from the date of their initial engagement in the artistic field until the submission of their application.

4. Language Proficiency: Due to the nature of the mentorship program, applicants must be able to effectively communicate in English.

5. Please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria before submitting your application.

Selection Criteria: Prince Claus Fund & Creative Industries Fund NL Building Beyond Mentorship Program

• The selection process for applicants is based on a set of specific criteria.
• These criteria include the originality and artistic merit of the work, as well as its transformative nature in addressing social and political issues.
• The work should also be context-specific, meaning it is significant and relevant to the local community.
• In addition, the work should promote inclusivity and aim to connect people in ways that challenge marginalization, oppression, and division.
• The impact of the award on the applicant’s professional development, engagement, and overall impact is also taken into consideration.
• Lastly, the potential of the individual to become a leader in their field and their dedication to addressing relevant social issues within their context are important factors in the selection process.

Application: Prince Claus Fund & Creative Industries Fund NL Building Beyond Mentorship Program

• To learn more about the program visit the official website
• To apply for this opportunity, you can utilize the Prince Claus Awards Platform.
• The application process entails answering questions about your involvement in the mentorship program, your practice, and providing a concept outline of the work you plan to develop within the mentorship. Additionally, we require a portfolio of your previous work, a C.V. and references, as well as a pitch video.
• To begin the application process, first, create an account on the Prince Claus Awards Platform. From there, you can initiate a new submission for the Mentorship Award: Building Beyond. Ensure that you fill in all the necessary fields and attach the required documents. You can work on your application, make changes, and save it until the deadline. However, please note that once you have submitted the application, you will not be able to make any amendments. If you have any inquiries during the process, please consult our FAQ section or contact us via email at [email protected].
• After submitting your application on the Prince Claus Awards Platform, please verify that you have received an automatic email confirmation.
• The deadline for the submissions is 14 May 2024 at 17.00 Amsterdam time.
• Questions should be addressed to [email protected]