May 28, 2025

Call for Applications: Residency Program in Namibia for Artists from Baden-Württemberg

Residency program in Namibia for artists from Baden-Württemberg working in the fields of visual and performing arts, music/sound, design, literature and art education

Akademie Schloss Solitude, together with the National Art Gallery of Namibia and the Goethe-Institut Namibia, is pleased to announce the continuation of its bilateral residency program, which promotes long-term cultural exchange between Namibia and Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to connect the fellows with the local cultural scenes on site and to strengthen the exchange of knowledge within the artistic communities of both contexts.

The residency program supports artists from Baden-Württemberg. It aims to integrate them into new artistic communities and to introduce their work to a wider audience in Namibia. In 2026, the program will organize two six-months fellowships from February to July in Namibia for artists from Baden-Württemberg. The residency will give two artists the opportunity to go to Namibia together and to accompany each other over the course of the fellowship. In exchange, two artists from Namibia will have the opportunity to go to Baden-Württemberg for six months in 2026. These fellowships will be promoted in a separate call.

The program will enclose events such as readings, exhibitions, discussions, and workshops as a form of output for audiences and cultural communities in Namibia. Applicants are free to choose the thematic focus of their project.

The call is open for artists from all fields of practice, such as visual and performing arts, music/sound, design, literature and art education. The fellowship will especially provide the possibility to engage artistically with different cultural communities in Namibia, to exchange skills for transdisciplinary production, and to create visibility for the artistic results.

We especially welcome applications by Black, Indigenous or People of Color. As well as persons with an international biography, in particular persons of African descent living in Baden-Württemberg.

You are welcome to apply for a fellowship until July 4, 2025.

Who can apply?

  • Individuals of all ages may apply for the fellowship
  • Good English skills are necessary

What support does the fellowship provide?
The fellowship includes the following benefits:

  • A free, furnished living/working studio including electricity, water and heating
  • A monthly fellowship grant of € 1,300
  • Travel expenses for arrival and departure (on a one-time basis)
  • Project funding and one-off materials subsidy of € 000
  • Visa costs
  • Health insurance

How can I apply?
The application material is submitted online and should include:

  • An A4 motivation letter explaining why you want to go to Namibia (in English, max. 1 Din A4 page)
  • A project description outlining what you aim to realize and how you plan to engage with the artistic communities in Namibia (in English, max. 1 Din A4 page)
  • A short biography and an informative portfolio or documentation of previous artistic work (in English)

    • All documents can be sent in PDF format via e-mail to:
    s.thieroff@akademie-solitude.de

    The artists are selected by an international jury.

    Fellowship period and application deadline:

  • The two fellowships in Windhoek will be awarded for the period of February 1 to July 31, 2026
  • The final date for all applications is July 4, 2025, 24 CET

    • For further inquiries, please contact: Sophie-Charlotte Thieroff, s.thieroff@akademie-solitude.de

     

    The residency program is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg as part of the Namibia initiative of the state of Baden-Württemberg.

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