BUILDING BEYOND

 

Deadline for the submission of applications is June 15, 2023, at 23h59 CEST

The Amsterdam-based Prince Claus Fund’s Awards Platform is hosting the Building Beyond Project.

The organisation proudly states: “Our cities are more than just spaces for living and working; they hold communities, expressions, knowledge systems, economies, beliefs, and they are crucial spaces for identity formation that shapes our lives. Globally, the pressure on cities is growing exponentially, particularly on the African continent.

“There is a need to engage in critical questioning; to consider how we live, and what the future could hold. What are the processes that define our shared spaces, what are the forms through which they should be pursued, and who will participate in shaping them?

“Are you a mid-career artist, designer, or creative with 5-10 years of experience in architecture, design, or spatial practice, whose work is dedicated to (re)imaging the future of your African city? We invite you to apply to the Building Beyond Mentorship Programme and define the future of public space and community in your city by activating the imagined possibilities of your localised context.

“Building Beyond brings together 12 experienced designers, creatives, and artists over the course of a year to foster conversation, collaboration, and exchange within the cohort; to support each participant in their own individual practice; and to facilitate exchanges between the cohort and relevant external practitioners. We support practices that engage with challenges related to your city’s public space and communities to propose alternative ideas and methods that align the physical city with the realities and imaginations of the lived city. We seek to foster locally-rooted, critical design practices, and cultural productions that challenge our ideas of space and citizenship, reaffirm agency, and restate ownership. Building Beyond is an alternative educational structure where you come together with your peers to reflect on your practice, activate your practice within your local context, and gather ideas and universalities from different urban contexts - aimed at reimagining the future of your contexts and continent.”

The programme consists of peer group sessions, guest speaker sessions, and two in-person intensives in the form of ‘Lab Weeks’—one in the African continent, and one in the Netherlands—where there will be further opportunities for exchange and to build your network. In addition to this, each participant receives an award of €10.000 and guidance from mentors to work on the concept for a body of work that is outlined in their application.

 

How to apply?

Please check the Eligibility Criteria & Guidelines before applying and check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Applications can be completed via the Prince Claus Awards Platform.

Timeline: The deadline for the submission of applications is June 15, 2023, at 23h59 CEST. 

Only complete submissions received in the platform before the deadline can be considered.