The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) announce a year-long fellowship programme developed to educate a new generation of art and museum professionals in Africa. Starting in 2022, the Zeitz MOCAA & University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme aims to contribute towards a redefinition of curatorial practice as well as art history scholarship on contemporary art discourse from the continent. This pan-African museum fellowship programme is jointly supported by Zeitz MOCAA, Africa No Filter and AKO Foundation as funders.

The Zeitz MOCAA & University of the Western Cape (UWC) Museum Fellowship Programme endeavours to foster knowledge production around curatorial practice, arts administration and heritage management. It offers fellows exposure to museum practice facilitated by Zeitz MOCAA senior staff and is underpinned by academic rigour in contemporary art history scholarship by the University of Western Cape’s outstanding faculty in the field of humanities.

“This initiative speaks to the museum’s vision to become a contemporary art museum that represents our times, one that engages society at large and one that participates and leads global discourse on pertinent issues. As an important institution rooted in local political liberation histories and one cognisant of changing African and international contexts, we are thrilled that UWC has recognised the potential of this project. We believe that this collaboration will further promote narratives that are important to the building of artistic and curatorial communities,” says Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA.

Over the course of the 12-month programme, fellows will enrol in courses at the University of Western Cape’s History Department and Center for Humanities Research (CHR) while obtaining work experience at Zeitz MOCAA in the Curatorial, Collection Management, Art Education and Institutional Advancement departments. In addition to ensuring an academically rigorous scholarship in museums, heritage and contemporary visual theory, the University will provide fellows with accreditation of a BA Honours degree on completion of the programme.

Professor Ciraj Rassool of the Department of History and Director of the African Programme in Museum and Heritage Studies at UWC says: “Cape Town is fast becoming a major global art centre and this Fellowship offers a rich exploration of the fundamental networks and systems that contribute to the city’s art heritage and museum ecosystem.

“Our hope is that by merging scholarship on contemporary art production and circulation from Africa and its diaspora with a redefinition of heritage and museum practice, we will contribute to the next generation of skilled professionals looking to work within museums, galleries, art centres, private and public collection management, biennials, art publishing, festivals, universities and more.”

The Fellowship, which begins in February 2022, is open to individuals who are citizens of an African country. It covers the costs of tuition, accommodation, basic health insurance and a monthly stipend. Travel and visa costs are excluded. Applications for the inaugural 2022 programme close on 30 September 2021.

Zeitz MOCAA and the University of the Western Cape are committed to celebrating diversity in all its forms, including gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

For more information and to apply, visit zeitzmocaa.museum.