Connect Artists Residency Programme 2021 for Artists from Africa & Switzerland

Connect South Africa will grant a funded residency to one artist from Switzerland and one artist from Southern, East or West Africa.

Application Deadline: 26th May 2021

About the Award: The two selected artists will participate in a dual residency split between CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, home of the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider [LHC]; and in the array of optical and radio astronomy observatories across rural and urban South Africa, concentrated particularly in the vast semi desert expanses of the Northern Cape. These include SARAO’s MeerKAT radio telescope near the town of Carnarvon, as the precursor to the South African component of the Square Kilometre Array [SKA] telescope, as well as the Southern African Large Telescope [SALT], the largest of a number of telescopes operated by SAAO near the town of Sutherland.

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Type: Short course

Eligibility: The Connect South Africa Call for Applications encourages the participation of artists interested in the ideas described above and who meet any of the following criteria:

• Artists interested in the cultural significance of scientific research and technology.
• Artists interested in extending their connection with the field of physics and sciences of the universe, and to enter in dialogue with scientists and engineers, and staff at CERN, and scientists of the observatories of SARAO and SAAO in South Africa.
• Artists pushing the traditional forms of dialogue with other fields of research, and keen to ask innovative questions across disciplines.
• Artists interested in the scientific community and the interaction with its social fabric and its history and narratives.
• Artists whose work and proposal aims to reflect on new models of social enquiry, the potential synergies between art and science, and to offer challenging methods of exchange and enquiry.
• Artists with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and flexibly across different social-cultural and institutional worlds.
• Artists from a discipline supported by Pro Helvetia (visual arts, music, literature, performing arts, design, and interactive media)and meeting the general Pro Helvetia criteria:
  • A convincing body of work and track record.
  • A significant footprint in the arts scene of the respective contexts of Switzerland and South, East and West Africa.

Selection Criteria: Connect invites submissions from artists with a distinct interest in an interdisciplinary approach, and a keen engagement with scientific thinking and fundamental science.

To be Taken at (Country):  The residency will involve a residency period of 3 weeks at CERN, Geneva and a residency of 5 weeks in South Africa.

Number of Awards: 2

Value of Award:

• A production stipend of 6,000 CHF and US$ 6,500 respectively.
• Living expenses in Switzerland and in South Africa.
• International travel costs and local travel, when required, and accommodation at CERN, Geneva, and across various locations in South Africa – principally Cape Town, Johannesburg, the Northern Cape.

Expectations of the Artist

The selected artists for the Connect South Africa residency will be expected to:

• Engage in research based on the proposal submitted in the context of this Call.
• Complete the period of the residency at CERN and in South Africa.
• Meet regularly with the scientific partner/s to discuss the process of artistic research, exploration and discovery, and additionally work with other scientists.
• Give one talk and/or workshop during the residency.
• Communicate regularly with the curators and teams of Arts at CERN and –defunct context in South Africa.
• Develop a concrete project resulting from the residency within the six months following the residency. Depending on the nature of the artists practice, this project proposal could be a fully realised artwork or the development of a preliminary stage or prototype of a project idea.
• Support the curators and project teams on the evaluation and report of the residency within the six months following the residency.

How to Apply: For more on how to apply and register click – HERE

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
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Visit Award Webpage for Details