Deadline: March 10, 2023
Applications are open for the Villa Albertine/Ford Foundation Residency Programme 2023. Each year, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, Villa Albertine welcomes five thinkers, creators, or culture professionals from the African continent to complete a residency in the US.
The five laureates, selected out of the current call for applications, will get the opportunity to complete a two-month exploratory residency in a US city in 2024. This residency programme aims to promote unique creative voices and practices from Africa with the potential to shed light on major contemporary issues, as well as open up new perspectives in the US and France.
Funding
Thanks to the financial support of the Ford Foundation, Villa Albertine is able to cover the following travel and living expenses for each residency:
- a residency allowance to cover everyday expenses (meals, local transport, etc.), based on the average cost of living for each of the ten geographical areas where Villa Albertine has a branch;
- a round trip to the US from the resident’s home country;
- accommodation;
- health, civil liability, and repatriation insurance;
- and any necessary visa fees.
Eligibility
- They are looking for creators, researchers, and culture professionals from across the African continent who wish to conduct an original research project requiring an immersive stay in the US.
- Applicants must be citizens of an African country, and their professional activity must be based primarily in Africa.
- In order to be able to communicate with professionals in the US, applicants must speak fluent English. As such, they are required to submit a three-minute video in which they introduce themselves and their project in English. Fluency in French is not required.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years of age prior to their estimated residency start date.
- This call is open to individual applications only; collective group applications shall not be accepted.
- Current health regulations require all non-American citizens traveling to the US to have had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination. Applicants must comply with US entry regulations.
Selection Process
The jury shall assess applications according to three criteria:
- Quality of the applicant’s overall work – The applicant practices their artistic or intellectual work on a professional basis; they are recognized by peers in their field; and their project for Villa Albertine is a logical continuation of their research objectives;
- Quality of the project – The project addresses a contemporary issue that resonates both in the US and in Africa; its artistic, cultural and intellectual focuses are clear and relevant; and it presents a strong connection to the dynamics of the applicant’s proposed city of residency such that it requires them to travel to the US; and
- Feasibility of the project – Villa Albertine reserves the right not to host projects it cannot properly support.
Application
The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. (Paris time) on March 10, 2023
Applications must include the five following elements:
- A completed applicant information form. Download it here.
- A presentation of the applicant’s career and work in PDF format, limited to ten pages and 8 MB (e.g. résumé and summary of a small selection of completed projects), including a statement indicating whether the applicant holds a driver’s license;
- A three-minute video of the applicant speaking in English – The video link must be shared on a PDF document. In the video, the applicant should introduce themselves and their project, without reading from a prepared text. It must be uploaded as an “unlisted” video on a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo, available to view only by those who have the required link. If the applicant decides to protect their video with a password, this should be provided with the application;
- A presentation of the proposed residency project in PDF, limited to two pages – The applicants must indicate the city where they wish to complete their residency;
- A letter from the chosen residency partner, signed and addressed to the Director of Villa Albertine – This letter should outline how the partner intends to support the residency. If the applicant has chosen several partners, each partner must submit a letter.
Applications must be submitted to [email protected]
For more information, visit Villa Albertine/Ford Foundation Residency Programme.