Open call: Intensive art writing workshop in Harare

The workshop, titled Zimbabwe on My Mind, will be led by acclaimed art critic, curator and educator Thembinkosi Goniwe, and will be hosted at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Building on a conceptual framework first introduced in Lusaka earlier this year, the programme invites participants to explore biographies of subjects and objects, writing about artists, artworks, archives and cultural spaces through a deeply imaginative and narrative-driven lens.

This Zimbabwe edition will expand the approach further, positioning art criticism as an embedded, reflective, and context-responsive practice. Participants will engage with selected works from the ARAK Collection online, as well as local artworks, exhibitions, and cultural sites. The aim is to explore how both contemporary and historical materials can serve as entry points for critical and poetic biography.

Through Goniwe’s distinctive methodology, participants will consider key questions such as:

• How can a life or object be read through its political, social, or material conditions?
• In what ways does an artist’s journey reflect national transformation?
• Can a studio, archive or exhibition embody a biography of its own?
• What might writing rooted in local experience reveal about broader continental or global dialogues?

The workshop will offer a rich introduction to Zimbabwe’s vibrant cultural landscape, including guided visits to artist studios and creative spaces in Harare. Activities will include writing exercises, group critique sessions, and site visits, culminating in the development of a working draft of a critical or narrative text by the final day.

Application guidelines

Eligible applicants must:

• Be based in Zimbabwe
• Be available to attend all three days of the workshop (10 to 12 September 2025)

To apply, applicants should submit the following:

• A 500-word writing sample (published or unpublished)
• A short motivation (maximum 250 words) explaining your interest in the workshop
• A CV or short biography
• Email address and a reachable telephone number

The deadline for applications is 10 August 2025. Materials should be submitted via email at workshop@arakcollection.com.