CALL FOR PROPOSALS
An initiative of the Institut français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS) / French Institute of South Africa and Embassy of France
Our call for proposals is now open until 22 November!
We are looking for best practice case studies, fresh ideas, new research, and creative thinking that highlight innovative approaches and engage with the themes.
Proposals are being solicited for workshops, panels, roundtables, talks, performances, screenings, walkabouts, site and studio visits, pecha kucha 20 x 20 presentations (20 slides, 20 images, 20 seconds each), storytelling and more.
We are open to learning from anywhere and everywhere, however proposals should have resonance within a Southern African or French context. Priority will be given to interesting, compelling, and participative formats.
Click here to submit your proposal
Submission process
A curatorial committee will review all proposals and design a convening programme accordingly
Only proposals for in-person sessions will be considered.
The deadline to submit a proposal is 22 November 2023.
Successful applicants will be contacted to discuss further steps and work on formatting for the convening.
A limited number of proposals will be accepted.
Proposals for the convening are not limited to academic plenaries – new and innovative sessions to encourage dialogue, skill development and future thinking are encouraged.
Applicants are encouraged to keep the following themes in mind when making their submissions.
More information about the convening can be found here.
The convening programme will address the following themes
Sustainability
Examining sustainability in heritage institutions, with a focus on structural models and financial sustainability and encompassing environmental responsibility and responses to climate change, megatrends, socio-economic conditions, and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) guidelines of relevant organisations. Promoting inclusivity and fair practice throughout museum operations should also be part of the sustainability discussion, as should ideas around tourism and how museums can integrate into cultural itineraries.
Diversity, inclusivity and accessibility
Highlighting the importance of diversity in museums, collections, and representation. Examining ways to create accessible and inclusive spaces for diverse audiences, promoting exhibitions, programmes, and outreach that speak to pluralistic societies.
Restitution, decolonisation and Africanisation
African-led dialogue on the current status of restitution (both cross-continental and within the continent), guided by the vision, expertise and practical needs of heritage, archives and museums, and originating communities. Envisioning strategies towards museum exchanges and the democratisation of cultural institutions through practices of decolonisation and Africanisation.
Innovation
Exploring the evolving role of heritage, archives and museums, their missions, and their responsibilities in knowledge transmission, education, public empowerment, and community engagement. Encouraging innovative ideas for the future of museology and archival practices, including new immersive and sensory-based approaches to exhibition design and storytelling, and digitalisation to ensure the preservation, accessibility, and democratisation of heritage. Preventative conservation and other innovative practices regarding collection management can be discussed, foregrounding indigenous knowledge approaches.
Education
Understand the role of heritage, archives and museums in education and how they can engage new generations. Encourage collaboration between educators and museum professionals to create synergy between educational public programming and curricula and bridge the gap in cultural production in the decolonising condition.
