Call for applications: Oscillations residency programme in Cape Town and Berlin

The two-year project is jointly organised and curated by Akademie der Künste (Berlin), the Centre for Humanities Research (CHR) at the University of the Western Cape and Deutschlandfunk Kultur/Klangkunst (Berlin).

Directed at mid-career sound artists, the Berlin programme, partly supported by DAAD Arts and Media Programme, includes three residencies, each for a period of two months. In Cape Town, the programme includes two two-month residencies for mid-career practitioners and two one-month residencies for entrants new to the field of sonic inquiry and practice. Residencies can be taken up in the June 2023 to March 2024 period.

What to expect at the two-month residency in Berlin

• Return economy flight from a major city in Southern Africa to Berlin.
• Residency stipend €2 700 ($2 860) including accommodation, ground transport, insurance and daily allowance.
• Participation in regular meetings and workshops at the Academy of Arts during the residency.
• Collective exchange with project participants in regular online meetings and participation in listening and reading sessions with the CHR’s Sound Working Group.
• Development of an audio work to be presented as an installation at Akademie der Künste in Berlin and as a radio broadcast at Deutschlandfunk Kultur/Klangkunst (German broadcast), April/May 2024.
• Progress on an article-length manuscript with the view to publishing in a peer-reviewed academic journal in 2024/2025 if appropriate.

Two-month residency in Cape Town

• Return economy flight from a major city in Southern Africa to Cape Town.
• Residency stipend €2 700 including accommodation, ground transport, insurance and daily allowance.
• Participation in regular listening and reading sessions with the CHR’s Sound Working Group.
• Participation in a reading group/laboratory on archiving sound art.
• Participation at the CHR’s Annual Winter School.
• Presentation of work in progress at the Oscillations Workshop, scheduled to take place from 11 to 14 September 2023.
• Development of an audio work to be presented as an installation at Akademie der Künste, Berlin and as a radio broadcast at Deutschlandfunk Kultur (German broadcast), April/May 2024.
• Progress on an article-length manuscript with the view to publishing in a peer reviewed academic journal in 2024/2025 if appropriate.

One-month residency in Cape Town

• Residency stipend of €2 000 for Cape Town-based artists.
• Participation in a reading and listening sessions at the Centre of Humanities Research.
• Participation in reading group/laboratory on archiving sound art.
• Presentation of work in progress at the Oscillations workshop, scheduled to take place from 11 to 14 September 2023.
• Development of an audio work to be presented as an installation at Akademie der Künste, Berlin and as a radio broadcast at Deutschlandfunk Kultur (German broadcast), April/May 2024.

Requirements

• CV
• Portfolio of work (two to three works in audio or video files).
• A letter of motivation or artist statement on why this open call appeals to your practice.
• Completion of the personal details form provided.
• Location of choice for residency, namely Berlin or Cape Town or both cities.
• Preferred month(s) for the residency.
• In no more than 300 words, a brief sketch of an audio project you hope to realise during the residency.

Selection process

• Selections are made jointly by a steering committee comprising members from participating organisations.
• The DAAD Arts and Media Programme offers awards to outstanding mid-career artists who have already developed a consistent body of work and have made a significant contribution to their artistic environment. An academic background is not requested, but a critical approach to historical and current issues and discourses is most welcome. Applications from females and diverse artists are encouraged. The grant is not for students or newcomers, but there is no age limitation upwards.
• The call is open to African nationals located in the continent and the selection process will prioritise the applications of Southern Africans located in southern Africa, as defined by the Southern African Development Community.
• The final decision rests with the Steering Committee. The committee may interview applicants.

Submission process

• Applications along with all required documents must be submitted before 4 April 2023 via email at mfelix@uwc.ac.za.
• Audio and video files must be secured with permanent links.
• Successful applicants will be notified during the first week of May 2023.

About Oscillations

Oscillations was founded on the premise that sound is knowledge. Epistemological and sonic objects usually circulate together, connecting geographies of the global south and north which we understand as trans-hemispheric connections. However, their coupled oscillations also exhibit erasures and distortions, as traces of violence and ignorance.

View the original call here.