Currently 5 active open calls open to applicants in Africa, across AI, arts, film, journalism, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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With support from Delfina Foundation's Network of Patrons for Africa, Delfina is offering a six- or twelve-week London residency within its winter 2027 season to curators based in Central and West Africa. ELIGIBILITY: applicants must hold nationality and be based in one of Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia or Togo; and must have at least five years of professional curatorial practice in a freelance, academic or institutional context. THE PROGRAMME: alongside time and space to develop their work, residents get guided visits to museums, galleries, non-profits, artist-run spaces and studios, plus trips to institutions outside London; opportunities to meet and engage with artists, curators, academics and researchers through organised presentations, studio visits, events and meals; professional development including presentations and crits, portfolio reviews and mentoring activities to strengthen their practice; and collaborative exchange between residents through informal gatherings and meals. APPLY via the application form on the open call page; Delfina strongly recommends reading the Guidance Notes document carefully before starting. Deadline Sunday 30 August 2026, 23:59 BST.
The Atlas Workshops are the Marrakech International Film Festival's industry and talent-development programme, running since 2018 and now in its 9th edition. This track is for feature films already in shooting or post-production. Selected teams get personalised mentoring tailored to each project across scriptwriting, production, distribution, editing and scoring, plus access to the festival's industry network, and compete for cash prizes decided by a dedicated jury. ELIGIBILITY: directors and producers who are from, or in the diaspora of, the Arab world or the African continent, working on their first, second or third feature (fiction, documentary or animation), with a production company attached. Open across that whole region, not restricted to Morocco. There is a separate Projects in Development track whose deadline (6 July 2026) has already passed for this edition. Deadline 31 August 2026.
Atlas Station is the Marrakech International Film Festival's professional development strand running alongside the Atlas Workshops, aimed at building the Moroccan film industry. The producers track offers structured mentoring, industry sessions and access to the festival's international network during the 9th edition. ELIGIBILITY IS RESTRICTED: open to Moroccan producers only, not to international applicants. Deadline 31 August 2026. See also the Atlas Station short film track (deadline 14 September 2026) and the internationally open Atlas Workshops track for films in shooting or post-production.
The short film strand of Atlas Station, the Marrakech International Film Festival's professional development programme for the Moroccan film industry, running alongside the 9th Atlas Workshops. Selected directors receive mentoring and industry access during the online and onsite sessions. ELIGIBILITY IS RESTRICTED: open to Moroccan directors with a short film in shooting or post-production that has not yet premiered. Not open to international applicants. Deadline 14 September 2026.
Annual prize from Gallery 1957 in Accra for women artists connected to Ghana and to Senegal, which joins the prize for the first time in 2026. Two winners are selected, one from each country, and each receives USD 5,000 in cash, a three-month residency exchange in the partner country with flights, artwork transport, accommodation and materials covered, and a resulting exhibition with the gallery. ELIGIBILITY IS GEOGRAPHICALLY RESTRICTED: applicants must be female citizens of Ghana or Senegal, aged 18 or over, living in Ghana, Senegal or the diaspora, and must present a valid national ID or passport. Not open to international applicants without that citizenship. Apply by email to applications@gallery1957.com with an artist bio or statement of no more than 200 words and a portfolio of up to six high-resolution images or videos with captions, both as PDFs. Questions go to awo@gallery1957.com. Deadline 30 September 2026.