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 2027 Museum Fellowship Programme. We invite aspiring contemporary art and museum professionals who are ready to shape the future of curatorial practice and arts research across the African continent and beyond, to join the sixth cycle of this transformative year-long journey. The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 30 June 2026. Only the first 100 applications will be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted by Monday, 3 August 2026.
This pan-African programme contributes towards the enrichment of Africa’s dynamic art and cultural ecologies. Designed to nurture critical praxis and scholarly engagement, it centres on contemporary art, curatorial practice, art education, conservation, heritage and museology in Africa and its diaspora.
Fellows gain practical work experience and mentorship at Zeitz MOCAA across the Curatorial, Registrar & Collection Management, Exhibition Design, Art Education, and Institutional Advancement departments. Following an initial orientation and rotation period, each fellow is placed within a single department of their choice. Here they actively contribute to the research, planning, execution, and management of exhibitions, publications, public programming, education initiatives and fundraising campaigns.
In parallel, fellows complete a postgraduate degree at UWC, undertaking coursework in historiography, curatorship, museology, and public history. The programme is underpinned by academic rigour and critical scholarship, fostering sustained dialogue between theory and practice.
The fellowship is punctuated by a collaborative project through which fellows respond to Zeitz MOCAA’s exhibition and research programme, culminating in public programming and a symposium centred on research developed as part of their university studies.
Launched in 2022, the programme is co-convened by Dr Greer Valley, Senior Curator & Head of Curatorial Affairs at Zeitz MOCAA, and Prof Rory Bester in the Department of Historical Studies at UWC. Zeitz MOCAA is proud to once again partner with UWC to advance knowledge production and professional training within the arts and heritage sectors.
Dr Greer Valley: ‘The museum fellowship programme reflects a sustained and impactful collaboration dedicated to cultivating critical exploration, skills development, and emerging professional practice across the continent. Alumni of the programme have continued into roles across cultural institutions, pursued postgraduate study at Master’s and PhD levels, undertaken international fellowships, and contributed to published research, reflecting the programme’s ongoing role in supporting the development of arts and heritage practitioners.’
Prof Rory Bester: ‘The fellowship opens a critical space between academic study and curatorial practice, enabling fellows to move between research and pedagogy. At UWC, the curriculum provides a rigorous framework to read and historicise the conditions shaping art and heritage on the continent. This extends into the museum as a site of inquiry, where fellows test ideas in practice and develop critically grounded engagement.’
Dr Valley and Prof Bester will lead the pan-African Fellowship Recruitment Drive for the 2027 museum fellowship programme from 26 May to 3 June 2026. They will be visiting 32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust in Kampala, Uganda, on 26 May, and ARD Art Institution in Cairo, Egypt on 3 June. The Fellowship Recruitment engagements offer insights into this collaborative fellowship, designed to nurture emerging talent within museum practice, curatorship, and critical research and writing on the arts from the continent. Sessions include presentations by both convenors, an open Q&A, and a roundtable discussion featuring local practitioners. Prospective applicants will gain valuable information about fellowship objectives, and the application process and what to expect.
Prospective applicants are also invited to join the co-convenors for a live Q&A session on Thursday, 11 June 2026 at 6 pm – 6.45 pm SAST on Zeitz MOCAA’s social media platforms—Instagram and Facebook—where they will answer various questions ahead of the application deadline on 30 June 2026.
The museum fellowship 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.
Successful applicants will be expected to participate in the full 12-month study programme on a full-time basis starting February 2027 and ending in January 2028. 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, 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 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 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.
The Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme is presented in partnership with the University of the Western Cape and generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.