Open call: AfriMus Residency programme for African sound, electronic artists

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Reside in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, or South Africa
• Hold a valid passport for travel to Europe
• Be English or French-speaking
• Have no age limit restrictions
• Be engaged in African electronic music or sound-based practices

Application deadline: 14 November 2025, 23:59 (CEST)

Objectives of the residency

• Strengthen the visibility, professional access, and networks of African musicians.
• Support the creation of audio-visual projects (e.g. video clips, documentaries, podcasts).
• Encourage dialogue on African musical heritage and the revival of historic collections.
• Facilitate research periods at the AfricaMuseum for the development of audio-visual projects.
• Explore new ideas around creation, restitution, and the decolonisation of ethnographic collections
• Invite one selected artist to Belgium to develop work reflecting on identity, history, and musical practices connected to the museum’s archives.

Residency offer

• €10 000 (about $11 600) production budget for an audio-visual project in Africa (March–June 2026)
• 4-week residency at the AfricaMuseum in Belgium (September–October 2026), with: travel, accommodation, and per diem (€44/day) covered.
• Artist fee of €400 per week.
• €3 000 budget for the final audio-visual or sound work to be presented to the public in Belgium.

Artist expectations

• Create an audio-visual work (new or extended) to be included in the museum’s permanent collection.
• Engage the public through workshops, masterclasses, or rehearsals during the residency.

Application requirements

Applications must be submitted by 14 November 2025 at 23:59 (CEST) to: [email protected] and [email protected], with the following subject line: Audiovisual production AfriMus 2026 Afrika

A complete application must include:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Copy of a valid passport.
• Motivation letter.
• Portfolio (PDF or online link) with at least three audio-visual works.
• Project proposal and budget for the African audio-visual production, including crew references.
• Project proposal and budget for the Belgian residency, including a detailed work plan.

Selection process

An international jury will select one artist for the residency. The jury includes:

• Stéphanie Booto (Project Manager, AfriMus – AfricaMuseum)
• Derek Debru (Co-Founder, Nyege Nyege)
• Xolile “X” Madinda (CEO, The Black Power Station)
• Rémy Jadinon (Curator & Musicologist, AfricaMuseum)
• On Ying Adilia Yip (Musician and Artistic Researcher, AfricaMuseum)

Timeline:

• Application deadline: 14 November 2025 (23:59 CEST).
• Pre-selection: November 2025.
• Final selection: 1 to 17 December 2025.
• Briefing for selected artist: 22 to 24 December 2025.

Only pre-selected applicants will be notified. The selected musician will receive confirmation via email. For further information, contact: [email protected].

About AfriMus

The AfriMus residency aims to renew and expand the AfricaMuseum’s extensive musicology collections, which include 37,000 sound recordings, 20,000 photographs, 9,000 musical instruments, and archives documenting Central African musical traditions. The project seeks to connect these historical materials with current African musical practices.

View the original call here.