Currently 3 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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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.
Reimagining Ghana is a UK-Ghana arts project by Forty-Four Words in collaboration with writer Ekow Barnes, supported by the UK Government and Arts Council England, exploring how contemporary creative practice can respond to ideas of Ghanaian identity, memory and representation. Having begun with commissioned non-fiction essays on the question What is Ghana?, the project now commissions three visual artists to create new work informed by research, dialogue and public engagement, running until Summer 2027 with public events in London and Accra. COMMISSION: GBP 2,500 artist fee per artist, a materials budget, curatorial and research support, and dialogue with peers and project collaborators; the commission fee, timeline and core deliverables are guaranteed even as the research evolves. ELIGIBILITY: artists aged 18+ of Ghanaian heritage, available throughout the project period, working across visual arts; the team looks for curiosity, thoughtful engagement with identity, memory, history, place and representation, and openness to collaboration. APPLY via the Google Form with an artist statement, motivation, outline of interests, and one PDF with CV and portfolio (minimum four works). The deadline is rolling; reviewing began 17 August 2026, so early application is advised.