Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2026 (midnight, South African Standard Time)
The Institute for Creative Arts (ICA) at the University of Cape Town invites artists, performers, writers, cultural workers, and interdisciplinary practitioners to submit proposals for the ICA Live Art Festival 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 14 to 17, 2026.
Since its inception in 2012, the ICA Live Art Festival has challenged and expanded the public’s experience of live art within a non-commercial, experimental platform. The festival has developed into a globally-recognised meeting ground for live art practitioners, offering a space not only to present work to diverse audiences but also to build relationships across organisations, disciplines, cultures, and geographies.
Over the years, the festival has hosted artists from across Africa and the Global South, fostering dialogue between performance, ritual, technology, embodied knowledge, and political imagination.
Artists can learn more about previous editions of the festival on the ICA website.
Call for Proposals
The ICA invites both
emerging and established artists to submit proposals to present work at the
2026 ICA Live Art Festival. Proposals may take the form of Live performance,
performance lecture, digital or hybrid performance work, performative
installation, site-responsive or public space intervention, participatory or
durational work, or other experimental formats yet to be imagined. The ICA does
not prescribe a specific theme and encourages artists to propose bold and
innovative work that explores the possibilities of live art practice.
Works may range from short interventions and intimate encounters to full-length performances or durational works unfolding over several days.
Support
Successful
applicants will receive:
-Technical support
-Administrative and
production support
-Publicity and
marketing support
-A contribution
towards the project budget
-Selected artists
will become part of an international programme that includes performances,
talks, roundtable discussions, and artist encounters.
How to Apply
Applications must be
submitted via the online form:
Live Art Festival
2026 Application Form
Applicants will be
asked to provide:
-Contact details
-Description of the
proposed work
-Technical
requirements
-Budget information
-Supporting
materials
Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2026 (midnight, South African
Standard Time)
Notes:
The ICA will not
accept applications via email.
Only proposals
submitted through the online form will be considered.
For enquiries, contact:
ica@uct.ac.za, with the subject line: LAF 2026
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