SALWA’s Internet Café: Here, there, but they don’t want us anywhere
SALWA’s Internet Café is an open call that aims to foster, acknowledge and support the migrant experience on the internet’s infrastructure.
Four migrant participants living in the Netherlands will be accepted for a three-month residency. All artists will be meeting three times per month to share literature, resources, stories and experiences in relation to the topic. Invited guest lecturers from the field of art and technology will give talks and workshops for deeper reflections. The intended result of the project is to open up the field of Media Arts that is predominantly western towards artists who did not have the opportunity to work with technology. The lived experience of an internet that was being used in a community will be researched.
Creatives are invited to explore the following question:
”How did early internet infrastructures shape the experience of migrant communities?”. Internet Cafés became widely popular in the early 90s and they became a meeting point to connect both online and offline, creating a community that was being built through a communal physical space in areas where internet access was not common. We will research how this experience shaped the visual language of creatives from the Global South and Eastern Europe.
Important Dates:
- 1 February: Call Open
- 5 March: Submission Deadlines
- 20 March: Final Selection + Announcement (4 Participants)
- 3 April: First Meeting
- April until June: Residency period
- July: Possible exhibition or presentation
Who can Apply?
At SALWA, support and activities are focused on the needs of emerging and mid-career artists, designers, and creatives with a migrant background. This includes newcomers, asylum seekers, multicultural creative professionals, and people with hybrid geographical orientations. The programs cater first and foremost to these groups and prioritise women, people of colour, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent people who bring their diverse experiences to SALWA.
Applications are welcomed from artists and cultural practitioners living in the Netherlands and are from our eligible countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe (full list of countries)
SALWA’s support:
-Artist fee: € 1.500,
-Production budget: up to € 1.000,
-Travel budget
-A warm meal during each meeting
-Access to SALWA’s studio space
-Connecting you to SALWA’s partners
How to Apply
The application is open to individuals, pairs or groups at any stage of their career, but priority will be given to artists who are early in their career.
-A short artist bio (max. 300 words)
-CV with contact details including name, phone number and links (if existing)
-Portfolio or link to portfolio
-A description (max. 500 words) that clearly explains the project you wish to produce, including a reflection on the theme. This could be either a new project or an existing project that needs further research or development
-Possible production needs
Head to the SALWA website for more info and to apply.
For any questions regarding the application procedure, theme, or if you are not sure whether you fit the criteria, you can reach out to Hello@salwa.nl for inquiries.
SALWA’s Internet Café is supported and made possible by the Creative Industries Fund NL. Partners include The Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, Casco Art Institute, The Hmm, Varia Zone, and W139.