Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries Residency 2026
Opportunity type: Residency
For: Visual Artists
Deadline: 11/05/26
Rewards: Exhibition, Residency, Mentorship, Bootcamp
Location Eligibility: Africa
About this opportunity
The Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries Residency is an annual programme designed to support and develop early-career artists across Africa. Established in 2016, the initiative combines mentorship, critical training, and exhibition opportunities to strengthen contemporary art practice on the continent.
Selected artists participate in an intensive development journey that includes a virtual bootcamp, a curated residency, and a final exhibition. The programme is led by international curators and mentors and focuses on strengthening critical thinking, artistic research, and conceptual development. The residency component includes both individual and group mentorship sessions, aimed at expanding artistic approaches and refining creative practice.
Rewards
- Final curated exhibition showcasing selected works
- 2-week intensive virtual bootcamp with artists and curators
- Mentorship from leading international and African art professionals
- Residency programme with structured studio development and critique sessions
- Collective and individual mentorship sessions (including collaboration with curators such as Dr. Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi)
- Platforming of emerging African artists within a major contemporary art programme
Eligibility
- Early-career and emerging artists
- Open to artists from across Africa
- Applicants should be developing a contemporary visual arts practice
- Open to artists working in diverse media and conceptual approaches
- Must be available to participate in bootcamp, residency, and exhibition phases
Entry Fee
Free
How to Apply
Apply using the link: Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries Residency 2026
All questions regarding this award should be sent to info@releartsfoundation.org
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