Artists for Artists workshops

Artists for Artists is accepting applications for early-career artists for its fifth edition States In States. 

Artists for Artists (AfA) is an international pedagogical program run exclusively by artists and for artists. The guiding ethos of AfA is that mentorship, community, exchange, and solidarity are each central to the art-making process. AfA contributes to professional development while engendering new social and artistic encounters, connecting artists from diverse geographies and backgrounds. We strive to cultivate global networks and communities in both a physical and digital context. 

Artists for Artists’ unique model concentrates on early-career artists with a focus on the Global South. Over 60 artists from more than 35 countries have participated and discussed their projects, ideas, and practice. Artists for Artists editions run bi-annually, offering direct communication to a network of internationally leading artists who provide hands-on valuable advice and mentorship in small-scale workshops.

Previous AfA Advising Artists include Megan Cope, Decolonize This Place (Amin Husain and Nitasha Dhillon), Noah Fischer, Terike Haapoja, Radio Al Hara, Jeanne van Heeswijk, Hiwa K, Ahmet Ogut, Lydia Ourahmane, Maria Papadimitriou, Vivien Sansour, Gregory Sholette, Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Dmitry Vilensky, and Katarina Zdjelar. Previous editions have focused on issues including “Radical Care,” “Institutional Collapse,” “The Politics of Sharing,” and “Language is Never on the Ground.”

The forthcoming Artists for Artists fifth edition States In States draws inspiration from artist Richard Bell’s seminal work “Embassy” (2013), a public space for imagining alternative futures and reflecting on stories of oppression.

States In States will focus on the nexus between art practice and experimental forms of sovereignty. It engages with practices that examine themes including legal, economic, and cultural self-determination, speculative forms of governance, and the politics of displacement and dispossession. States In States workshops will be led by international artists, including Richard Bell, and will be accompanied by a suite of lectures.

Who can apply? Early career artists (including groups and collectives, activists, and cultural professionals) across all disciplines are invited to apply for the fifth edition. PhD students are welcome to apply. The primary language is English.

Successful applicants will be informed by December 2. All artists admitted to the program are automatically eligible for the AfA Micro-Grant.

Application deadline: November 27, 2022. To apply, please visit the Artists for Artists application page. Questions regarding the application process can be sent to info@afamasterclass.org. The States In States edition is generously supported by Simon Mordant AO.