Institut Francais Open Call for Applications from Immersive Artist Teams 2026

Deadline: November 9, 2025

The Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and in partnership with Electric South, invite applications from immersive artists in South Africa, Malawi, and Lesotho to take part in an exciting new initiative that reimagines the future of heritage through immersive storytelling.

About the Project

Futures_Past: Amplifying Memory with Immersive Technologies is a dedicated project that supports archival and cultural institutions in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi to explore new ways of engaging the public through immersive storytelling. The project focuses on reanimating archival collections using digital formats such as virtual and augmented reality, spatial audio, and interactive installations. The project is also designed to support the immersive arts in the three countries through funding, support and a mobility and networking programme.

The aim is to strengthen public access to heritage by developing creative partnerships, building professional networks, and supporting the production of innovative digital works rooted in historical and cultural archives.

The project has three core components:

• A sector mapping and policy study on immersive arts in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, with input from regional stakeholders and French experts;
• The creation of six original immersive digital storytelling projects, inspired by archival collections from institutions in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, developed through open calls. This also includes a capacity development programme to train emerging assistant producers under the age of 30;
• A mobility and networking programme in France, connecting Southern African archivists and producers with French immersive arts institutions and festivals.

Benefits

• Each selected team will receive between R500,000 and R1,200,000 in financial support, depending on the scale and scope of their proposed work. This funding covers artist fees and production expenses, including fees, technology, overheads and all other project-specific costs. Selected teams will also receive mentorship, facilitated access to archives, and exhibition opportunities. Funds will be managed in tranches by Electric South. Co-funding, additional support, and co-production models are encouraged and welcomed.
• In addition, a separate fund will be allocated to support exhibition installation and management, ensuring that completed works are presented effectively and professionally.

Eligibility

• They are seeking teams comprising of at least four key roles with experience in immersive media or related fields, and an interest in archives, history, and storytelling: a creator (director, creative lead), a technologist lead, a producer, and an emerging trainee assistant producer who will receive training as part of this initiative.
• They want to see teams that can interpret the stories held in the respective archives to create inspiring works for diverse audiences using immersive digital technology.
• All key team members must have at least three years of experience in their respective practices. This does not apply to the trainee assistant producer.
• The director must be from and/or resident in the country where the archive is based. If the director is not currently based in the city/country where the archive is located, they must be able to travel to the archive.
• While it is preferable for other key team members to also be from or residing in the country where the archive is based, teams can include members from elsewhere in Africa, as long as the director meets the requirements.
• Each team must include at least four members: director, technologist, producer, as well as a trainee assistant producer. Additional members with relevant expertise may also be included.
• The trainee producer must be under the age of 30.
• Selection will aim for gender balance among participants, but teams of any gender composition are welcome to apply.
• Team experience, cohesion, location and the balance of skills will be assessed to ensure capacity to deliver the project.
• Teams should demonstrate both technical expertise and a strong creative vision. If any of the core roles are performed by the same person, documentation of expertise in all areas is required.
• They are looking for teams who are open and collaborative. You will be working directly with archival institutions, collaborating closely with archivists and staff to develop immersive projects. Many of the institutions are already working with local communities and stakeholders. Openness, adaptability, and a spirit of co-creation are essential to ensure that the archives’ collections are interpreted respectfully and engagingly.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of curators, technologists, and archivists. Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Originality – Innovative and imaginative use of immersive media to engage with archival materials.
• Ethics – Commitment to responsible practice, including community representation and respectful use of archives.
• Suitability of Technology – Effective use of immersive tools to support the story and concept.
• Audience Engagement – Potential to reach and resonate with diverse audiences.
• Aesthetics – Creative quality of design, sound, and storytelling.
• Archive Match – Strength of connection between the chosen archive and the proposed project.
• Practicality – Feasibility of delivering the project within the resources, timeframe, and team capacity.
• Team Composition – location, balance, experience, cohesion, gender considerations, and inclusion of emerging assistant producers.
• Touring Potential – The final project should be “portable” so that there is the potential to tour it beyond the archival institution.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed before the final selection is made. During the interview, the teams will be asked to explain how they intend to budget and schedule the work.

Application

Applicants will be asked to submit:

• An explanation of why you want to work with a particular archive. They want to see why you are excited to work with the archive.
• A short proposal describing your project idea and approach.
• Mood boards and other visual materials that give a sense of your approach to realising the project idea.
• Information about your team members, including relevant experience.
• Examples of previous immersive work.
• At least two contactable references.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Institut Francais Open Call.