ArtsEquator Lobang is a list of available open calls, job postings and other opportunities open to people from Singapore and Southeast Asia. “Lobang”, a Malay word for “hole”, is used in Singlish as a shorthand for an opportunity, valuable contact or a tip.
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Info & Resources | Open Calls | Jobs
Info & Resources
Note: Info on reliefs, grants and packages by the Singapore government can be found here.
[NEW] [Singapore] $20m top-up to the Arts and Culture Resilience Package
The Singapore government has just announced a top-up to the Arts and Culture Resilience Package (ACRP). These will cover the following schemes:
1) Self-Employed Person (SEP) Grant for arts and culture freelancers to collaborate on projects (up to $50,000 per project)
2) The Business Transformation Fund (BTF) to support the transformation of arts and culture organisations to be more efficient and sustainable
NAC aims to launch both grants by June 2021.
3) Second tranche of ACRP Operating Grant for organisations
4) Extension of the 80% venue hire subsidy for another 3 months (till June 2021)
[NEW] [Malaysia] CENDANA-PRISMA Recovery Initiatives
CENDANA has the following initiatives:
1) Visual Arts Showcase Funding Programme (for those actively engaged in the visual arts sector outside the commercial framework)
Applications close: 21 April
2) Performing Arts Presentation Funding Programme (to support the growth of the performing arts sector)
Applications close: 30 April
3) Adiguru CENDANA Programme (for traditional arts practitioners)
Applications close: 6 May
4) Independent Music Funding Programme (to support the independent music scene)
Applications close: 6 May
5) Visual Arts Inspire Funding Programme (for visual artists with more than 12 years’ experience)
Applications open: 30 April
6) Art in the City Public Art Commissioning Programme (for public artworks, community projects)
Applications open: 30 April
[NEW] [Singapore] Clubhouse Discussions by SG COVID-19 Creative/Cultural Professionals & Freelancers Support Group
The SG COVID-19 Creative/Cultural Professionals & Freelancers Support Group hosts a discussion for freelancers and creative professionals on Clubhouse every Wednesday at 10pm. This Facebook support group was first set up in Feb 2020 to share tips, resources and information for creative and cultural workers.
[Singapore] COVID-19 Recovery Grant
Lower- to middle-income employees and self-employed persons (SEPs) who remain financially impacted by COVID-19 may receive up to $700 per month. Apply from now till 31 Dec 2021.
[Singapore] Sing Lit Station HALP Fund
The HALP Fund is a discretionary fund used by Sing Lit Station to support literary arts practitioners in the creation and presentation of their work in any form. It also aims to provide subsistence funds during tough times. The maximum quantum will be $500 per application. Applications will be held year-round until 31 March 2021 or until funds are fully disbursed, whichever comes first.
[Singapore] SAMPP COVID-19 Relief Fund
Singapore Association of Motion Picture Professionals are offering grants for filmmakers and others in the film industry.
[Singapore] SkillsFuture Top-Up
Adult Singaporeans aged 25 and above will receive a one-off $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up. Eligible individuals can start using the additional credit from 1 October 2020. Singaporeans aged 40 to 60 will receive a special $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up. This will be over and above the $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up for Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above. From 1 October 2020, this top-up can be used on all SkillsFuture Credit-eligible courses, and will expire on 31 Dec 2025.
[Singapore] Self-Employed Persons Training Support Scheme
All Self-Employed Persons will be entitled to between $7.50-$11 an hour of training allowance for SkillsFuture series courses and selected sector-specific training programmes. This will be administered by NTUC.
More info can be found here.
[Singapore] Singapore Unbound Relief Fund (SURF)
Singapore Unbound has decided to postpone this year’s writing fellowships to Southeast Asia and to commit the funds instead to aid Singaporean writers badly affected by the shutdowns. Creative writers, whether they are Singapore citizens living anywhere in the world or Permanent Residents of Singapore, may apply for a USD200/SGD280 grant from the Singapore Unbound Relief Fund with no strings attached. This fund is specifically intended to help those in dire need of immediate help. Donations to this fund are also welcome.
Open Calls
[New] Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Residency Programmes 2021
SRT has announced the return of its residency programme, offering two residencies, in Arts Management and Directing. The residency programme is a full-time position, which may span between 12-24 months and will include a monthly stipend.
[New] Open Call: ADAM 2021: Rehearsing (for) the Future
This year, ADAM will be hosting a series of online programs conceived by international artists to continuously stimulate exchanges of thoughts and practices, the Artist Lab bringing together Taiwan-based artists to examine its geo-political ecology of the Taipei city, and an open call for ideas – Rehearsing (for) the Future.
In Rehearsing (for) the Future, artists self-identified as Asian wherever they are based as individuals, collectives or Asian-and-non-Asian mixed groups are invited to propose research-based ideas that respond to our times in a post-COVID-19 context and imagine the future that the artists would like to shape and contribute.
The selected projects will be presented as a research sharing in ADAM’s online program in December 2021.
Deadline: 6 May 2021
[New] The Runaway Company Audition Notice
The Runaway Company in Singapore is looking for actor-singers, musicians and members of the production committee for its upcoming musical, Weren’t You Young Before?.
Application deadline: 10 May 2021
[New] Frontier Danceland’s Company Audition 2021 Notice
Frontier Danceland is looking for a versatile and resilient dance artist to join the team as a full-time company artist. Artists should have formal ballet and contemporary dance training, be between 20-30 years old and be a Singapore citizen, a Permanent Resident or be based in Singapore.
Application deadline: 14 May 2021
[New] Open Call for Submissions: Manuscript Bootcamp 2021 (Poetry)
Calling all poets 📣 : If you’re working on a manuscript and need a community of writers, editors and publishers to take it to its final form, then Manuscript Bootcamp is for you!
Deadline: 30 May 2021
Open Call: Raise Three Fingers
Raise Three Fingers (formerly Art for Freedom MM) is a campaign hub founded by artists and creatives in Myanmar to bring the global art community together and highlight the unfolding human rights and humanitarian crises caused by the military coup on February 1 2021. They are calling on the global art community to raise three fingers and shine a light on an illegitimate power grab.
Call for collaboration: 136 Goethe
Goethe Institut has announced a new arts space within its premises called 136 Goethe. They would like to invite the public, the arts community of Singapore and everyone who is interested in intercultural collaboration and innovative practices to engage in and access 136 GOETHE.
List yourself: Producers SG Directory
The Producers SG Directory is an online database of independent arts producers and managers working in and across Singapore and the region.
This is a growing directory. Producers SG welcomes submissions from producers and arts managers from Singapore, the rest of Southeast Asia, as well as professionals who work regularly with artists and/or platforms in this region.
Open Call: Conservation Research Writing Residency
Rimbun Dahan now offers short-term residencies, between 2 weeks and 3 months, for researchers in environmental conservation issues who need time and space to write up their research for publication.
Applications on a rolling basis from 1 March 2021.
Open for applications: Objectifs Documentary Award 2021 (Open & Emerging categories)
The Objectifs Documentary Award champions Objectifs’ mission to broaden perspectives through image making, by supporting original voices in visual storytelling in Singapore and the wider region. The Award enables photographers to work on new or existing projects, encouraging them to tell stories about their native communities.
1) Open Category
The Open Category is awarded to 1 recipient from Southeast Asia. The recipient will work with curator Kamiliah Bahdar to curate and present a solo exhibition at Objectifs in March 2022, and SGD$2,500 to work on a new or existing body of work.
2) Emerging Category
The Emerging Category will be awarded to 2 recipients from Southeast Asia. Each recipient receives a 6 month-long mentorship with photographer Hannah Reyes Morales, an exhibition at Objectifs in March 2022, and SGD$1,000 to work on a new or existing body of work.
Deadline: 18 April 2021
Open Call: Playwrights Commune Open Studio
Playwrights Commune is inviting writers to submit a play in any stage of completion, as part of Open Studio – which is organised in conjunction with their home at 222 Queen Street from April – July 2021.
The Open Studio is an activation of their resources to create a ground-up centre for playwrights to aid their writing journeys wherever they presently find themselves. These opportunities will be curated in response to the submissions received, such as masterclasses, developmental workshops, lectures, and readings.
Everyone who submits something will be welcome to participate in the Open Studio in June/July 2021.
Deadline: 20 April 2021, 2359 (GMT +8)
Open Call: Proposals for the future of The Substation
The Board of The Substation is calling for “credible, substantial and sustainable proposals for the continuation of The Substation that are true to the values of The Substation: to be a safe, creative, non-judgmental space for artistic experimentation and challenging perspectives, open to all.”
Deadline: 20 April 2021
Open Call: Asia Connection: Producers Camp 2021
With the rise of its economies and culture in the 21st century, Asia is receiving more attention globally. In the coming post-pandemic era, it is crucial that performing arts producers, venues, and institutions come together in collaboration and develop channels through which they can creatively voice their respective cultures, shape individual creative vocabularies, and construct an Asian cultural identity.
The National Theater & Concert Hall (NTCH) is joining hands with cultural institutions such as the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre to develop regional productions and professional producers in Asia. Through this three-year training programme, it hopes to build a strong and lasting Asia Connection production network – a co-production eco-system within the Asia-Pacific region – and strengthen productions’ potential to be seen by audiences internationally.
Workshop schedule: Each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 31 August-2 September; 7-9 September; and 14-16 September, 2021.
Deadline: 21 April 2021 2359 hrs (GMT+8).
Open Call: Jim Thompson Art Center: Future Tense
The Jim Thompson Art Center is inviting submissions from artists and curators to join the inaugural exhibition program to celebrate the launch of the Jim Thompson Art Center’s new building. The JTAC’s inaugural show, Future Tense, will be an inclusive, salon-style presentation accommodating diverse responses to the present anxieties. This first exhibition is scheduled to open in late June and run through September 2021.
They welcome submissions from art practitioners based in Thailand and beyond who want their works to be featured in our Future Tense exhibition. The proposals should be relevant to the Cold War context in Thailand or Southeast Asia and beyond. The proposals could also address critical issues of our fast-changing and disrupted local and global realities.
Deadline: 25 April 2021
Open Call: Asian Arts Media Roundtable
The Asian Arts Media Roundtable (AAMR) is back, after a successful run in 2019. ArtsEquator is proud to be working with SIFA to present AAMR@SIFA2021, a digital programme bringing together international arts writers, critics and journalists to learn, share and converse. AAMR@SIFA2021 runs from 15 May – 12 June 2021.
What does the work of a critic look like as performances and festivals are reimagined for the future? This is an important thrust of AAMR@SIFA2021, and will be examined and unpacked through discussions, presentations and watch parties of shows.
Deadline: 26 April 2021, 2359 (GMT +8)
Open Call: Objectifs Short Film Incubator
The Objectifs Short Film Incubator is an initiative presented by Objectifs that focuses on developing short film scripts. The programme is open to Southeast Asian filmmakers working with moving images, and will provide five selected participants with mentorship and a valuable support network as they work on their scripts.
The Objectifs Short Film Incubator will run from 1 July – 18 August 2021. It will be held entirely online.
Deadline: 30 April 2021
Open Call: Singapore International Foundation’s Arts for Good Projects 2021
The Singapore International Foundation’s Arts for Good Projects is a programme that brings together artists and different sectors of society to collaborate on arts-based initiatives for social good. Successful applicants may receive up to $20,000 per project.
Projects should:
– Connect Singapore and global communities creatively for social good through the arts in view of social distancing practices and travel restrictions
– Facilitate active engagement with or participation by different communities across borders
– Feature digital means of production, presentation, collaboration or community engagement
– Promote cross-cultural understanding, international collaboration and positive social change
Projects should commence after 1 July 2021 and be completed by 31 December 2021.
Deadline: 6 May 2021
Open Call: Call for Entries: Singapore Shorts 2021
An annual showcase organised by the Asian Film Archive to celebrate the best and the most promising local short films in Singapore, the programme will feature a diverse range of new cinematic works chosen by an esteemed selection panel.
Screenings will be held at the Oldham Theatre in August 2021. All films must be produced between 2019 and 2021.
Deadline: 7 May 2021
Open Call: Translation & Adaptation projects
This experimental programme is a collaboration between GroundZ-0 原。空間 and Singapore Book Council to explore the boundaries of translation and / adaptation of the written word into a different language or art form. Artists are encouraged to either translate maybe recreate the English poem provided into a different language or to adapt the poem into a different art form. The latter could be visual art such as a painting or illustration or a form of performing art such as theatre, dance or music.
This programme will be conducted wholly on digital platforms and the presentation will be livestreamed on the GroundZ-0 and Singapore Book Council Facebook. Selected artists will be invited to do a 3 to 8 minute presentation of their translation or adaptation on 2 June 2021 (Wednesday) on StreamYard or a similar platform. They will also be able to share about their vision or forthcoming projects within the allocated time.
Deadline: 10 May 2021
Open Call: Mother-daughter stories
(un)becoming is a hybrid theatrical production that excavates the complex dynamics in mother-daughter relationships, and the nuances of such relationships within the Singapore experience. Created by Sim Yan Ying “YY” and Nabilah Said, the devised play will be presented in July as part of T:>Works’ Festival Of Women: N.O.W. 2021. They are inviting the public to share mother-daughter stories which will form a digital accompaniment to the play, (un)becoming.
Deadline: 14 May 2021
Open Call: Contemporary Performing Arts Research Residency
The National Library Creative Residency is a new programme that invites creatives from different artistic disciplines to draw inspiration from the National Library Board’s collections, to reimagine or reinterpret the items in ways that provide fresh perspectives and make them more engaging to a wider community of users. They are keen to collaborate with creatives who employ innovative and imaginative methods to create conceptualizations of new works inspired by collections from the National Library, Singapore (NLS) and the National Archives of Singapore (NAS).
Deadline: 31 May 2021
Open Call: Contemporary Performing Arts Research Residency
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay invites artists, curators, programmers, writers, researchers and practitioners across all disciplines in the performing arts to apply for its inaugural Contemporary Performing Arts Research Residency, taking place in Singapore between April and June 2022. The Contemporary Performing Arts Research Residency is a new artistic research development programme by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, supported by the National Arts Council, Singapore.
The residency offers two types of support: Artist-in-Residence and Researcher-in-Residence. Artists-in-Residence can apply for a residency period of one to three months, while Researchers-in-Residence can apply for a residency period of two to four weeks. All residents will receive either a stipend (for artists) or an allowance (for researchers), a shared-working space, studios when required, as well as accommodation and international travel to and from Singapore, if from abroad.
Deadline: 31 May 2021, 2359 (GMT +8)
Open for Submissions: The 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
Representing more of the globe than any other prize of its kind, the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize is opening its doors for 2021 and welcoming work in fiction, poetry, and life writing from unpublished writers around the world.
Winners will receive £1,000 each, and all fifteen shortlisted writers will be offered mentoring and career guidance from partners The Literary Consultancy and The Good Literary Agency. Past winners and shortlistees have gone on to score deals with major international publishing houses such as Verso, Peepal Tree Press, and HarperCollins India and to be shortlisted for and win prizes including the TS Eliot Prize, Ambit Short Fiction, and Bocas Poetry Prize, among very many others.
Deadline: 31 May 2021
New Awards for the Best Undergraduate Critical Essays on Singapore Literature
Singapore Unbound, a NYC-based literary non-profit, has just announced three awards of USD250.00 each for the best three undergraduate critical essays on topics in Singapore literature. The purpose of these awards is to encourage the teaching and study of Singapore literature at college level and the cultivation of general appreciation for the character and achievements of Singapore literature.
Deadline: 12 July 2021
Call for pitches: so-far Issue 4: Platforms
so-far is a platform for both emerging and established writers which publishes long-form writing, deep dialogues, or experimental formats from letter-writing, speculative fiction, creative non-fiction, ekphrastic poetry, and more. It is calling for pitches for its next issue now.
Call for Submissions: The Tiger Moth Review
The Tiger Moth Review, a new and independent eco-conscious journal from Singapore, is calling for submissions of poetry, prose, art and photography that emphasises the connections between “human activity and the environment that produces it”, work that displays an “awareness of ecology and concerns over environmental disaster” (“Ecopoetics”, Poetry Foundation).
They are looking for work that is eco-conscious and critical, work that celebrates the beauty/ bounty of nature, work that is cognisant, curious and contemplative of the relationships between humanity, modernity, cultures and the environments in which we live in or imagine ourselves to inhabit.
Submissions for Issue 5 (Jan 20201) now open.
Jobs
[NEW] National Arts Council: Various Positions, Singapore Art Week 2022
The NAC is hiring for Singapore Art Week 2022 for the following positions: Partnerships & Engagement Manager, Marketing & Communications Manager, Project Manager and Digital Producer.
Deadline: 28 April 2021
[NEW] NTU Centre for Contemporary Arts, Programmes Coordinator
The Programmes coordinator supports both the Centre as well as its programming team with administration and project management in the delivery of the Centre’s Artists-in-Residence (AIR) Programmes. The coordinator is responsible in supporting and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the programme from travel and visa arrangements, itinerary scheduling, vendor sourcing, budget and inventory management, grant writing and reporting, to help residents with research and local/regional networking and support delivery of related public programmes from open studios to workshops, performances or other special projects.
On the Centre level, the role will also serve as the contact point for Centre’s communication and social media outreach, coordinating content and material from other team members and liaise with any enquiries arising from social media
National Arts Council: Senior Manager/ Assistant Director (Arts & Culture Development Office)
The candidate is expected to work closely with the Deputy Director to develop and drive effective research-based strategies to boost cultural philanthropy in Singapore. As a key member of the Arts & Culture Development Office (ACDO) and the Sustain the Arts (stART) Fund Secretariat, the candidate is expected to lead a team to forge cross-cutting partnerships with other government agencies, business community and private foundations to cultivate and grow giving to the Arts sector. Through strong advocacy work, and working with our Marketing & Communications department, he/she will raise awareness of the value of the arts and the impact of support among both the business community, individual patrons and the community-at-large. As part of ACDO’s work, the candidate will also be required to drive training & mentorship programmes focused on developing fundraising capabilities of arts organisation. The candidate will be instrumental in the set-up of a donor management system to oversee donor stewardship and engagement initiatives and be the project lead for the organisation of NAC’s Patron of the Arts Awards.
Deadline: 28 April 2021
National Arts Council: Assistant Manager / Manager, Visual Arts (Apr 2021 to Mar 2022)
Responsibilities include:
– To develop and implement engagement strategies with a diverse range of stakeholders that include students, arts practitioners, companies, institutions and the general public, towards shaping key projects in the visual arts sector.
– To maintain regular and timely engagement with a wide range of stakeholders in the visual arts sector to co-create solutions to achieve policy outcomes.
– To partner with agencies to co-develop projects to promote the economic sustainability of the visual arts ecosystem.
Deadline: 28 April 2021
National Arts Council: Marketing & Comms Manager (Singapore Art Week) (May 2021 to 30 Apr 2022)
Principal Accountabilities include:
– Have a broad overview of a marketing campaign’s objectives and manage different timelines to serve the campaign. For example, timelines include for social media, media buys, merchandise production, creative collaterals
– Working closely with social media agency to clear content of social media schedule and oversee overall marketing timeline.
– Manage social media platforms primarily on Singapore Art Week’s FB and IG accounts, manage public queries and overall maintenance of both platforms.
Deadline: 28 April 2021
OH! Open House: Marketing & Communications Manager
OH! Open House is looking for its next marketing and communications manager. You will be the craftsman behind communications initiatives and campaigns for the organisation, develop a variety of skills and have a hand in bringing art closer to the masses.
NTU CCA: Assistant Director, Research & Academic Programmes
NTU Centre for Contemporary Art is looking for someone to focus on research management and grant management.
Singapore Art Museum: Curator (Media & Technology)
Responsibilities include:
– Research and contribute to scholarship on present-day contemporary art globally, with a focus on practices in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia.
– Develop areas of research specialisation – in particular, on media and technology in art – to support institutional policies and goals on exhibition programming, collection development and publications.
– Curate exhibitions and artwork commissions, develop collaborative and cross-disciplinary projects.
– Undertake and develop exhibitions and projects including conceptualisation, negotiations with external institutions and artists, and co-ordination of general exhibition matters.
– Demonstrate thought leadership in the field through sharing of knowledge at conferences, talks and publications.
Other curatorial positions are also available in the link below:
National Gallery Singapore: Assistant Curator/Curator
The incumbent will contribute to the development and implementation of the Gallery’s exhibitions, acquisitions and related physical and digital programmes, particularly in the field of interdisciplinary practices such as performance and time-based media.
Responsibilities include:
– Lead project teams in development and execution of small-scale exhibitions.
– Conceive, plan and execute exhibitions and programmes including negotiations with lenders and collaborative institutions, as well as co-ordination of general exhibition matters.
– Work with other teams (Marketing, PD, IP, AEM) to provide content and support for exhibition related matters.
– Work with other teams in developing and executing programmes and tours for audience and stakeholder engagement.
SOTA: Teacher, Faculty of Visual Arts
Responsibilities include:
– Development and delivery of curriculum to a range of visual arts classes of different levels and technical proficiencies. The curriculum includes both studio practice and theory and history of art.
– Monitoring and evaluation of student progress, including providing useful and timely feedback to students and other stakeholders.
– Preparation and conduct of assessment of student learning
More roles available in the link below.
ArtsEquator Lobang: Open Calls and Job Opportunities (Singapore/SEA) is presented by ArtsEquator.
Note: All information is correct at the time of publication. Please confirm directly with the organisers’ websites. ArtsEquator shall have no liability for the accuracy of the information and cannot be held liable for any third-party claims or losses of any damages.
If you have an open call or a job opportunity you’d like us to highlight, please email contact[at]artsequator.com.
About the author(s)
Nabilah Said
Nabilah Said is an award-winning playwright, editor and cultural commentator. She is also an artist who works with text across various artforms and formats. Her plays have been staged in Singapore and London, including ANGKAT, which won Best Original Script at the 2020 Life Theatre Awards. Nabilah is the former editor of ArtsEquator.