Media release

• Zeitz MOCAA and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) invite all aspiring pan-African art and museum professionals to apply for the 2025 museum fellowship programme

• One-year tenure with hands-on experience at Zeitz MOCAA alongside academic courses at UWC towards an accredited BA Honours qualification

• The museum fellowship programme is supported by the Mellon Foundation

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(CAPE TOWN, 23 April 2024): The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) are pleased to announce the open call for the 2025 Museum Fellowship Programme, inviting aspiring contemporary art and museum professionals in Africa to join this transformative year-long journey. The closing date for applications is 30 June 2024. Only the first 100 applications will be considered. Successful applications will be contacted by 5 August 2024.

The Zeitz MOCAA & University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme is a pan-African programme which contributes towards the enrichment of Africa’s dynamic art and heritage ecology. It offers fellows exposure to contemporary art museum practice facilitated by Zeitz MOCAA senior staff in the Curatorial, Registrar & Collection Management, Exhibition Design, Art Education, and Institutional Advancement departments. The programme is underpinned by academic rigour in art, heritage and museum scholarship facilitated by the University of the Western Cape’s Department of Historical Studies.

Tandazani Dhlakama, Curator at Zeitz MOCAA and Co-convenor of the Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme: “There are so many new spaces and initiatives on the African continent with many professionals not only needing the practical, hands-on experience but also a high standard of academic excellence to help them progress in their careers. The museum fellowship programme has been designed to invest in this new generation of cultural thinkers and practitioners.”

Modelled on a one-year tenure where fellows will study and work with both institutions towards an accredited BA Honours qualification, the programme dedicates three full days a week to Zeitz MOCAA work, while the remaining two days are for UWC studies. It is ideal for individuals who are interested in further developing their careers in art museums, galleries, art centres, private and public collection management, biennials, art publishing, art festivals and related fields. The programme covers tuition, accommodation, basic health insurance and a monthly stipend. Travel and visa costs are not included.

Fellows will enrol in courses at the University of the Western Cape’s Department of Historical Studies and will also engage in discourse around contemporary art, curatorial practice, art education, conservation, heritage, and museology from Africa and the African diaspora. “The programme is focused on museum studies, fostering knowledge production around curatorial practice, arts administration, and heritage management. It aims to contribute towards a redefinition of curatorial practice as well as art history scholarship on contemporary art discourse from the continent,” says Professor Rory Bester, Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at UWC and Co-convenor of the Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme.

Dhlakama and Bester have embarked on a pan-African recruitment drive from 15 to 19 April 2024 to LE18 in Marrakesh, Morocco; Allé School of Fine Arts and Design in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Nafasi Art Space in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; with an upcoming visit to RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal on 20 May.

Only successful applicants will be contacted by Monday, 5 August 2024. Only the first 100 applications will be considered. The successful applicants will be expected to participate in the full 12-month study programme on a full-time basis starting February 2025 and ending in January 2026. Eligible applicants will preferably hold a bachelor’s degree in art, heritage or museum studies or other relevant humanities field, with a demonstrated capacity to work at a postgraduate level; knowledge of contemporary art and heritage from Africa and the African diaspora; excellent writing skills; 2-3 years of relevant work experience; citizenship of an African country; and proficiency in English.

Zeitz MOCAA continues to position itself as a civic space — as an active agent that caters to and nurtures society. As a site for public dialogue, exhibitions, research and collection, the institution promotes narratives that are essential to the construction of our societies. The museum is a site for the conversations, debates, and storytelling that contemporary art enables.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is an internationally acclaimed higher education institution rooted in local political liberation histories and has established itself as a premier institution for quality education as well as a site that nurtures the growth of a future generation of thinkers. It is committed to excellence in teaching, learning and research, and to responding in critical and creative ways to the needs of a society in constant flux.

Both Zeitz MOCAA and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) celebrate diversity in all its forms, including gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Visit our website for more information on the Museum Fellowship Programme by clicking HERE.

The Zeitz MOCAA & University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.

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Please find full biographies of the Co-convenors and further information on the 2025 Open Call of the Zeitz MOCAA & University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme here. For media enquiries, contact Evaan Jason Ferreira at evaanjason.ferreira@zeitmocaa.museum

About Zeitz MOCAA

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public not-for-profit institution that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora; conceives and hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational, discursive and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding; and strives towards access for all. The museum’s galleries feature rotating temporary exhibitions with a dedicated space for the permanent collection. The institution also includes the Centre for Art Education (CFAE) and The Atelier, a museum residency programme for artists living and working in Cape Town.

Zeitz MOCAA is situated at the Silo District, South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, and is open Monday through Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm (with last entry at 5.30 pm). zeitzmocaa.museum

About the University of the Western Cape (UWC)

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) was founded in 1960 and occupies a unique space in the South African higher education landscape. It is a dynamic institution committed to excellence in learning, teaching, research and innovation in a globally competitive environment whilst remaining true to the values and ethos that have shaped its identity as a university rooted in serving the public good. uwc.ac.za

About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the United States’ largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.