Opportunities

A page of more or less local competitions, open calls, residencies and other opportunities open to the Gulf’s creative community. If you know of anything we should include, please let us (and the rest of the community) know.

Ras Al Khaimah Fine Art Festival open calls

ART / PHOTOGRAPHY / SCULPTURE / FILM / POETRY

DEADLINE EXTENDED 15 June 2021
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The 2022 RAK Fine Arts Festival has categories for Fine Art & Photography, Sculpture, Film, and Poetry, with a separate Student category for submissions. As well as public exposure there are (modest) prizes

  • The overall theme for the 2022 Festival is The Journey – “we are inviting artists to consider the notion of the journey through the lens of ancestry, migration, national identity, and personal growth. Where has our journey taken us? What has our journey taught us about our present? And how will our journey inform our future?”
  • The 2022 Festival has five submission categories: Fine Art & Photography, Sculpture, Film, Student, and Poetry
  • Artists and directors may enter work in any or all categories but only one submission form per category is allowed (so you can’t enter multiple times in any category)
  • Copyright remains with the submitting artist or director but RAKFAF can use and reproduce the entered material free of charge to promote the Festival
  • Any photo uploaded during the submission process must be jpeg, jpg or png (no PDF images) and max 5MB
  • The Festival will not negotiate or mediate sales on behalf of artists, but will share artist’s contact information with interested buyers
  • No entry fee
  • Queries and clarification: call +971 7 233 8060 or email info@rakfinearts.ae
  • Fine Art & Photography
  • Includes digital art, drawing, painting, photography, and 2D mixed media if entries are submitted as a hi-res photograph
  • Submit up to three digital files for consideration, though these must be part of  the same series (unrelated files will not be considered)  
  • Files should be max 1920 x 1080 pixels, 2-5MB, high-resolution
  • Selected artwork will be exhibited outdoors in a large-scale, digitally printed format – actual physical submissions will not be displayed.
  • A separate student application option is available for students in grades up to K-12
  • Sculpture
  • Two subcategories:
    :: Sculpture – submissions can be made from any new materials
    :: Recycled Art – made from at least 75% recycled materials (entries must be accompanied by a full list of materials used and sources)
  • Work should be able to stand unsupported
  • Sculptures will be exhibited outdoors so only work that can cope with exposure to the elements should be submitted (it can get very hot and dusty in RAK …)
  • Selected artists are responsible for transporting work (inc any display stand) to and from the exhibition
  • A separate student application option is available for students in grades up to K-12
  • Film
  • Three subcategories:
    :: Animation
    :: Documentary
    :: Narrative
  • Films must not exceed 30 minutes inc credits.
  • Films must be bilingual, Arabic/English, with subtitles in the relevant language.
  • Films must have been completed in the last three years
  • Submit in .mov format via a link or a USB drive; successful applications will have to be provided on a USB drive.
  • A separate student application option is available for students in grades up to K-12
  • Poetry
  • Submit poems of 8- 30 lines as a PDF or Word doc.
  • Can be in English, Arabic, or bilingual
  • “Poems from UAE-based writers are highly preferred”
  • No restrictions: “artists, photographers, and filmmakers of all ages, nationalities, and experience levels, regardless of their emirate or country of residence”
  • All successful submissions will be exhibited or screened at RAKFAF 2022 (February – April 2022)
  • Fine Art & Photography prizes:
    1st: AED 5,000 plus trophy
    2nd: AED 2,500 AED plus trophy
  • Film prizes:
    1st: AED 5,000 plus trophy
    2nd: AED 2,500 AED plus trophy
  • Sculpture prizes:
    1st: AED 5,000 plus trophy
    2nd: AED 2,500 AED plus trophy
  • Poetry prize:
    AED 3,000 plus trophy and publication
  • Student prizes:
    1st: AED 2,000 plus trophy
    2nd: AED 1,000 AED plus trophy

Al Qasimi Foundation Artist-in-Residence Grants

VARIOUS DISCIPLINES

DEADLINE EXTENDED 15 June 2021
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Grants for residencies of 6-12 months providing opportunities for visiting artists to produce new work “and engage in cultural exchange with the Ras Al Khaimah community”

  • One or two residencies are available each year. This application is for 2022 residencies
  • Wide range of possible projects including drawing, film, jewellery, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, textiles, film
  • Visiting artists have use of the Al Qasimi Foundation’s Studio & Gallery, a purpose-designed, multi-functional arts space suitable for both personal projects and engagement activities
  • All associated expenses are covered, including return airfares, furnished accommodation for up to 12 months, a “modest” monthly stipend for living expenses, and art supplies
  • The structure of each residency may vary according to the activities proposed, but in general this is what’s expected:
  • Create new work as indicated in the Statement of Intent
  • Donate to the Foundation one work created during the residency
  • Present a solo exhibition in the Studio & Gallery OR create a large-scale community art project
  • Run an open studio with access for the general public to observe and ask questions (presumably on a mutually agreed schedule)an open studio with access for the general public to observe and ask questions
  • Lead one workshop or other hands-on activity for every month of the residency (so 12 months = 12 activities)
  • Give a public talk
  • Write a blog post (500-800 words) about the residency experience for publication on the Foundation’s website and social media platforms
  • Individual applicants only: no groups or collectives
  • Apply by creating an account at the online application portal then upload …
  • Covering letter
  • CV
  • Bio/professional statement
  • Photo
  • Portfolio showing work produced in the last five years (submitted as low-res PDF, max 15 images; or list max five links to video/audio files of five minutes max)
  • Statement of Intent detailing anticipated residency activities and timelines
  • Supply List (inc budget – max AED 15,000) required for proposed work
  • Two recommendation letters 
  • No entry fee
  • Selection will be based (a) quality of portfolios (b) proposed activities during the residency, though (c) “alignment with planned Studio & Gallery programming and artistic media supply/space requirements may also be considered”
  • Selection committee will invite shortlisted applicants to interview (may be done online). Expect confirmation of status (yes/no) within 6-8 weeks of deadline
  • Queries and clarification: email submissions@rakfinearts.ae. More information here
  • Must be at least 21 years old
  • Degree in studio or fine arts (or equivalent experience) At least 21
  • Must be practicing in one or more of …
  • drawing,
  • film,
  • jewellery,
  • mixed media
  • painting
  • photography
  • sculpture
  • textiles
  • film
  • Must have articipated in at least one solo exhibition OR two group exhibitions OR one film festival in the past three years
  • Must have experience of teaching or running hands-on workshops and activities P
  • Must be proficient in spoken and written English
  • Residencies of between 6 and 12 months for one or two artists
  • All expenses paid, plus (unspecified but “modest”) monthly stipend
  • End-of-programme exhibition or public work project

Emerging Scene Art Prize 2021

ART

DEADLINE 16 June 2021
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Win exposure on digital media around Dubai (“worth $75,000”) plus a $2,000 commission

  • No apparent restrictions on media or size, though since video display is part of the prize it makes sense to choose something that looks good on a screen
  • No apparent restriction on number of works you can apply with
  • Submission by individuals or collectives is accepted
  • Apply online with fee and images (or a link to images on your website or social media platform
  • Jury will judge on originality, concept (“expression of ideas, artist’s statement”), technique. Members are:
    – Rebia Naim, founder Emerging Scene
    – Tina McGonagill managing partner Emerging Scene
    – Ines Thiru Art Editor, Elevision
    – Ramin Salsalli fine art collector //
  • Shortlisted artists (no limit on number) go through to second and final judging round, but in any case will have one artwork featured on Elevision digital screens sometime this year
  • Winners get:
    》A digital art exhibition on Elevision Media, a network of advertising screens in business and residential towers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (1,000+ screens). Organisers claims this exposure is worth $75,000
    》An exhibition for the 10 best artists at “a leading venue in Dubai” in DIFC (dates and exact location tbc). Work on show here must be available for sale (max price $3,000) and organisers will take a 30% commission
    》Organisers will purchase two works from the overall winner for a total maximum of $2,000
    》Organisers will purchase one work each from the second and third place artists for a maximum of $1,000 apiece
  • Competition celebrates the UAE’s Golden Jubilee; submissions should “express a vision for the UAE’s future while showcasing the UAE’s journey of progress and development … installations will capture the values the UAE holds dear for its future”
  • Entry fee $35
  • Winners announced 30 June 2021
  • Full details here
  • None
  • First prize: purchase of two works for a total of $2,000 plus physical and digital exhibition
  • Second prize: purchase of one work for a total of $1,000 plus physical and digital exhibition
  • Third prize: purchase of one work for a total of $1,000 plus physical and digital exhibition
  • Seven other nominees: physical and digital exhibition

Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize 2021

DESIGN

DEADLINE 18 June 2021
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Submit original designs on the theme “Biomimicry – Butterflies”, win a week in Paris studying at the .

  • Established prize for early-career designers and/or artists run by Van Cleef & Arpels in partnership with Tashkeel
  • Submissions must be original and entirely the work of the applicant; should be functional sfunctional pieces that integrate craftsmanship and contemporary design. Examples cited are furniture, products or lighting (designs for jewellery and/or watches will not be considered)
  • Theme: Biomimicry – Butterflies. “The goal of Biomimicry is to create products and processes — new ways of living — that solve some of the greatest design challenges sustainably and in solidarity with all life on earth … We can look to innovation by natural designs for making things more efficient”
  • Winner advised in July, finishes the project with AED 30,000 budget, announced publicly in November 2021 during Dubai Design Week when the winning proposal will be exhibited
  • Apply by email with attachments (though files of 10MB or larger must be submitted via WeTransfer) including application form (available here) and up to five digital files (photos of maquettes, renderings and/or sketches – images must be hi-res Jpeg or Tiff at 300dpi) //
  • It’s not clear whether submission by groups/teams/collectives would be accepted; the bumf does assume a single maker/designer
  • No entry fee
  • Previous winners: Salem Al Mansoori (Edition 1); Vikram Divecha (Edition 2); Ivan Parati (Edition 3); Ranim Orouk (Edition 4); Hamza Omari (Edition 5); Julia Ibbini (Edition 6); Aezad Muzaffar Alam (Edition 7)
  • Full details here
  • Open to all artists and designers living in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar
  • Winner receives …
  • AED 30,000 to cover the entire materials and production of the work. Additional AED 5,000 for shipping to and from Dubai if necessary
  • A one-week expenses-paid trip to Paris to attend courses led by master craftsmen in jewellery creation at L’ECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels
  • Exhibit of work at Dubai Design Week

ADNOC Art Awards

SCULPTURE / INSTALLATION / DESIGN

DEADLINE 20 June 2021
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Design one of five open-air installations for permanent display at ADNOC HQ in celebration of the UAE’s 50th anniversary

  • Submit proposals for an installation (could be functional) to be installed outdoors at the ADNOC campus in Abu Dhabi; no explicit restriction on size or style, but the promotional video suggests sculpture, architecture, “environmental art” and “functional designs”
  • AED 50,000 prizes for five winners
  • Competition celebrates the UAE’s Golden Jubilee; submissions should “express a vision for the UAE’s future while showcasing the UAE’s journey of progress and development … installations will capture the values the UAE holds dear for its future”
  • Process:
    1. During July a Selection Committee (comprising “distinguished art experts from different disciplines in the UAE”) will evaluate entries and produce a shortlist of ten
    2. During August five winners will be selected by “a combination of a Popular Vote in addition to the Selection Committee’s Vote” will identify five winners (no indication yet of how the popular vote will work or what the relative balance of scores will be)
    3. During Sept/Oct work will be made and installed
    4. November: “Grand Reveal”
  • Apply via online form with …
    1. Personal details
    2. “Design narrative” – max 500 words covering …
    – How your proposal represents the future of the UAE community
    – Source of your design inspiration
    – Fit with the UAE’s #Next50 ambitions
    3. Proposal document (one PDF, max 16MB) including
    > artwork dimensions
    > material recommendations
    > budget
    > timescale
    > “multiple views of the artwork showing all important structural features” (inc pedestal and/or landscaping recommendations)
    4. Five images showing the work in finished form (presumably as renders or similar. These are additional to images in the PDF package)
  • No entry fee
  • The cost of producing and installing the work will be covered by ADNOC
  • ADNOC will retain full IP on all the winners’ work. In effect this means the prize award is more or less a purchase fee.
  • Full details here. Queries to adnocawards.hq@adnoc.ae
  • Over 18 only
  • No other restriction that we could see, though familiarity with UAE is an obvious prerequisite
  • FIve winners get AED 50,000 each
  • Work is permanently installed on the ADNOC Campus (Abu Dhabi Corniche)

Open Call: Gulf Photo Plus 2021 Community Exhibition

PHOTOGRAPHY

DEADLINE 20 June 2021
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Submit up to four analogue images to be considered for GPP’s 2021 Community Exhibition

  • Submit images for the Gulf Photo Plus 2021 Community Exhibition
  • Submit up to four images as hi-res JPEGs (240dpi, larger than 3000 pixels on the longest side, less than 6Mb per image) each with a caption (max 100 words) indicating location, film format and type, and year it was taken
  • Images must have been taken on film, but post-processing in Photoshop and/or Lightroom is permitted
  • Theme/prompt is ‘The Chemistry of Feeling’ but “the lessons of this time [Covid, obviously] remain with us, and we hope to see this appreciation of slowness, heightened feeling, and considered pace reflected in the submissions”
  • Images must tell stories related to MENASA region but technically could have been taken anywhere
  • No entry fee
  • None
  • Participation in Gulf Photo Plus 2021 Community Exhibition (dates tbc)

Made in Tashkeel 2021

ART / DESIgn

DEADLINE 22 June 2021
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Apply to the 2021 summer group exhibition at Tashkeel with recent work – Tashkeel-related artists and designers only

  • Apply to the 2021 summer group exhibition at Tashkeel with recent work
  • Tashkeel-connected artists and designers only (see Qualification: the connection could simply be attendance at a course or workshop)
  • Contemporary art or design work in any medium
  • Work must have been completed after 1 May 2019
  • Selection made by 1 July, work to be delivered 3-10 July, exhibition runs 13 July – 7 September
  • Apply by email. Accompanying images should be hi-res, 300dpi, Jpeg or Tiff; video files at least 720fps, mov or mp4; audio files should be wav or aiff. Submit files via wetransfer or hand-deliver to Tashkeel, Nad Al Sheba
  • Selected applicants will be responsible for the framing and mounting of their works “to a professional standard” before delivering to Tashkeel
  • No entry fee
  • Artists and designers are those who have at least one of …
  • Current or past Tashkeel membership
  • Have exhibited at Tashkeel since 1 May 2019
  • Have participated in a training session at Tashkeel since 1 May 2019 (eg courses, photowalks, workshops, lectures, talks)
  • Have produced work (in whole or part) using Tashkeel equipment and/or facilities since 1 May 2019

Abwab 2021

ARCHITECTURE

DEADLINE 25 June 2021
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Submit proposals for a large-scale, contemporary architecture pavilion to be the centrepiece of Dubai Design Week (8-13 November) in Dubai Design District (d3). Theme: regenerative architecture and restorative design

  • Open call for a large-scale, contemporary architecture pavilion to be the centrepiece of Dubai Design Week (8-13 November) in Dubai Design District (d3)
  • Theme: regenerative architecture and restorative design – ie human impact on the planet and the role of design as a restorative tool while embedding nature as a core element in design practices. Designs could be related to energy, materials, land, air & water and ecosystems
  • Winning proposal will get $40,000 for production plus $10,000 in design fees, to include all project development technical plans, renders and production management and supervision
  • Proposed design should …
    – demonstrate a strong relationship to the theme
    – explore contemporary design and architecture
    – maintain “cultural and geographical relevance”
    – provide a large scale pavilion within the dedicated central location at d3
    – be produced (partly or entirely) in the UAE
    – follow a responsible (ie sustainable) design approach
    –“include a strong collaboration, that is both relevant to the DNA of Abwab as a platform for the Arab region and its cultural diversity as well as this year’s theme”
  • Proposal must be:
    – suitable for outdoor installation in d3
    – max 250m2
    – max 250kg per m2
    – cope with the climate of Dubai into account (and should be easily cleaned)
  • Proposals should include “complementary programming of the space through cross disciplinary collaborations” as well as the commission’s post-DDW life
  • Apply online with
    – concept description (max 300 words)
    – min five digital files showing the proposed concept with hi-res renderings
    – detailed budget
  • Winner announced 30 July. Final technical drawings to be submitted by 15 Aug
  • Queries to submissions@dubaidesignweek.ae
  • None specific, but clearly regional applicants are preferred; and “this open call does not apply to large architectural entities, but targets middle sized creative studios, individual creatives and SMEs”
  • Participation in the region’s premier design fair, with one of DDW’s most visible elements
  • Construction budget of $40,000 plus $10,000 design fee

Warehouse421 Artistic Research Grant

RESEARCH

DEADLINE 26 June 2021
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Support for practice-based research investigating new social questions through interdisciplinary methodologies. Acceptable working disciplines could include visual art and curations, design and technology, literary arts, culinary arts, music, theatre, and performance

  • Aim: “to support a rigorous inquiry and in-depth artistic research across multiple disciplines by focusing on the arts and pushing for more substantial engagement between creative practitioners and their communities across the region … We want to highlight the importance of creative practitioners as an active part of the social fabric”
  • Applications can include but are not limited to performances, school or public programming, symposia, and exhibitions
  • Disciplines can include but are not limited to visual art and curations, design and technology, literary arts, culinary arts, music, theatre, and performance
  • Not intended as an academic grant, but “a strong interaction with the historical, geographical, and intellectual context of a grantee’s topic and medium” is expected
  • Grantees are required to produce and end-of-project document, but are also “encouraged to conceive other formats of research expression as part of the grant’s purpose to promote wider dissemination of knowledge”
  • One or more grantees (no number specified) will get “up to” AED 75,000, covering the specifics outlined in the application’s budget. Cash is released in stages through the project, with 40% up front
  • Collectives or groups can apply as well as individuals
  • Projects will start October 2021
  • Apply via online form with …
    1. Personal details (bio, CV, mugshot, passport copy etc)
    2. Samples of previous work: upload up to five files (.pdf, .mp3, .wav, .mp4 only)
    3. Abstract for proposed research (max 250 words)
    4. ‘Research statement’ (no word limit) amplifying the project scope and in praticular outlining outcomes/deliverables, relevance to MENASA region, theoretical framework, research methodology
    5. Detailed budget (max AED 75,000) and schedule
  • No entry fee
  • Full details here
  • Over 21
  • Applications and/or projects must be from, in or have a relationship with the wider MENASA region
  • “Open to local and regional early-to-mid-career creative practitioners” (no more explicit definitions
  • Grantees get the requested budget for their project, up to AED 75,000
  • Other outcomes and deliverables are as specified in the application

Dubai Design Week Proposals

ANY CREATIVE

DEADLINE 30 June 2021
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Submit ideas for staging multi-disciplinary collaborations, pop-up exhibitions, cultural showcases, installations or unique digital experiences, talks, workshops, masterclasses etc at Dubai Design Week 

  • Submit proposals for content at Dubai Design Week (8-13 November)
  • Just about any applicant type qualifies – individual designers, studios, brands, makers and manufacturers, retailers and venues, educational and cultural institutions, government bodies
  • Just about any ideas are welcome provided they are “of high quality and on relevant topics”, “accessible and relevant”, and “in line with the festival’s overall thematics”
  • Acceptable proposals could be installations, product launches, pop-ups and exhibitions, workshops/demonstrations, talks, masterclasses, research projects, interactive digital experiences “and more”. DDW can advise and support concept development etc
  • Disciplines can include architecture, product design, interiors, multimedia, graphic design (“beauty and art are subjects that are generally not a focus of the programme … but exceptions can be made”)
  • Submissions welcomed for projects and activations in d3, around Dubai, or across UAE
  • DDW does not undertake securing of locations – applicants have to organise this themselves
  • DDW does not provide funding – its role is to provide a platform and promote activities to increase reach. DDW can advise on potential collaborations and partnerships, and may be able to identify opportunities for commissions or grants /// Free listing in the official DDW programme; fees charged for indoor and outdoor spaces at d3 (charged per square metre)
  • Queries to info@downtowndesign.com or +971 4 563 1425
  • None specific, but see restrictions
  • Participation in the region’s premier design fair, with some free promotion

Warehouse421 Curatorial Development Program

CURATING

DEADLINE 3 July 2021
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Specify a group exhibition and publication on ‘Future Perfect: Catastrophe and the Contemporary’ in February 2022

  • Propose a group exhibition and publication with the title ‘Future Perfect: Catastrophe and the Contemporary’ (defined as “a perspective of the future on what the past (our present) will have been if we do not think, act, and create in the here and now of catastrophe” and summarised as “we will have been nothing … if we do not painstakingly chip away at … the latest accomplishments of capitalism and its political forms”)
  • Partnership between Warehouse421 and Bombay Institute for Critical Analysis and Research (BICAR)
  • Winner gets AED 20,000 to participate in a structured programme from August 2021 to February 2022, including
    – collaboration with BICAR and Warehouse421 faculty and staff
    – weekly colloquium/workshop of reading, discussion, and presentation with invited and selected philosophers, historians, artists, curators, critics, and creative writers (guest speakers signed up include curator/artist Ala Younis; architect/artist Bijoy Jain; artist/forensic investigator Lawrence Abu Hamdan; Raqs Media Collective from Delhi; artist/amateur astronomer Rohini Devasher; artist/writer Walid Sadek)
  • Collectives or groups can apply as well as individuals
  • Programme will start August 2021
  • Apply via online form with …
    1. Personal details (bio, CV, mugshot, passport copy etc)
    2. Samples of previous writing (mandatory, up to 1500 words each)
    3. “Curatorial statement of intent” (max 1,000 words)
    4. Statement of how the exhibition will be relevant to Warehouse421’s mission’ (max 300 words)
    5. “Prior research” and literature review, inc bibliography and how your exhibition will be different
    6. Indicative list of artworks that could be included in the exhibition – min six, listed on an Excel spreadsheet; image, recording, film are acceptable
    7. editorial vision for the accompanying publication (max 200 words)
  • No entry fee
  • Over 21
  • Applicants must be from, in or have a relationship with the wider MENASA region
  • Curatorial experience required (not explicitly, but it would be difficult to apply successfully without it)
  • Grantees get the requested budget for their project, up to AED 75,000
  • Other outcomes and deliverables are as specified in the application

Warehouse421 Artistic Developmental Exhibition

ART

DEADLINE 31 July 2021
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Mentoring through the ideation, development and installation of a solo exhibition

  • Open call for a commission leading to exhibition of new work in Warehouse421’s Gallery 1 (around 150m2) in 2022
  • Three successful applicants each get a “participation fee” of AED 10,000
  • Exhibitions are solo shows in June and in September 2022
  • Aimed at artists with rigorous and sustained practices who would benefit from space to continue to experiment
  • Programme emphasises professional and creative development of participants, who will be supported by educators, interlocutors, and/or curators in producing work (each practitioner will select an interlocutor for an ongoing dialogue, plus scheduled group-crits and discussions)
  • Artists will develop their exhibition from idea to installation plus production of accompanying texts and public engagement activities
  • Partnership between Warehouse421 and The Institute for Emerging Art (?)
  • Individuals only
  • Programme will start August 2021
  • Apply via online form with …
    1. Personal details (bio, CV, mugshot, passport copy etc)
    2. Samples of previous writing (mandatory, up to 1500 words each)
    3. Artist statement (max 1500 words)
    4. Experience in public engagement (talks, workshops, teaching, performances)
    5. Work samples – max 10 images, or 5 mins total minutes of video/audio, or 5 images and 2.5 mins video/audio, and/or 5 pages of literary work
    6. Statement of intent – core objectives, expectations, etc (max 800 words)
    7. Six-month timeline
  • No entry fee
  • Over 21
  • Based in UAE
  • Early- or mid-career creative practitioners
  • AED 10,000
  • Solo exhibition at Warehouse421
  • Professional development

Warehouse421 Homebound Residency: Digital Communities

ART

DEADLINE 7 August 2021
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Mentoring through the ideation, development and installation of a solo exhibition

  • Six-month off-site residency programme (October 2021 – April 2022) with curatorial support, material and logistical support, and production budget of “up to” AED 20,000 (can be used for any equipment and materials required)
  • Aim: support creative practitioners working remotely in producing new works and exploring “digital forms of community engagement within their practices” (because “this past year has served to highlight the untapped potentials of the ever-expanding forms of community engagement”) – applicants are challenged to think “deeply” about connection, communication, and multi-dimensional interaction
  • Programme led by curator Reem Shadid; aid and guidance from interlocutors identified by the successful participants; regular discussion circles
  • Culminates in an online presentation of processes and work
  • Open to any disciplines inc visual arts & curation, design & technology, theatre & performance, literary arts, culinary arts, music
  • Individuals only
  • Programme will start October 2021
  • Apply via online form with …
    1. Personal details (bio, CV, mugshot, passport copy etc)
    2. Samples of previous writing (mandatory, up to 1500 words each)
    3. Artist statement (max 500 words)
    4. Work samples – max 10 images, or 5 mins total minutes of video/audio, or 5 images and 2.5 mins video/audio, and/or 5 pages of literary work
    5. Statement of intent – core objectives, expectations, etc (max 800 words)
    6. Budget
  • No entry fee
  • Over 21
  • Connected somehow to the MENASA region
  • AED 20,000
  • Online presentation of work and process
  • Professional development

UAE Designer Exhibition 2.0

DESIGN

DEADLINE 15 August 2021
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Open call for work from young designers to feature in a curated exhibition at Dubai Design Week

  • Open call for “homegrown, innovative designs” featuring “sustainability, material exploration and craft innovation” that “disrupt traditional solutions”
  • To participate in a curated exhibition at d3 during Dubai Design Week (8-13 November)
  • Aimed at young designers in their early career with independent, emerging practices that have not been exhibited extensively before
  • Proposals should …
    – contribute to the local supply chain (mandatory)
    – be at least at prototype stage(mandatory)
    – have a local or regional affiliation or relevance
    – not have been exhibited “extensively” before
    – consider environmental and social impact
    – contain cultural references of historical or contemporary narratives
  • Apply online with
    – concept description (max 300 words)
    – min one max five digital files showing the proposed concept
    – layout showing how the project will be exhibited
    – biography (max 300 words)
  • Queries to submissions@dubaidesignweek.ae
  • Must reside, operate and produce in the UAE
  • Must be younger, non-established designer with a smaller or emerging practice or who hasn’t been adopted by a gallery
  • Participation in an exhibition at the region’s premier design fair
  • Sales and networking opportunities
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