This 12-month fellowship, delivered by The Muse Multi Studios (Sudan Art Archive), Sudan in partnership with Qubit Incubator, Australia supports eight artists from Australia and Sudan to explore alternative, community-driven and living archival practices.
Across the first three months, fellows participate in an eight-session Knowledge Lab that introduces key definitions, methodologies, and case studies in archival practice, with a focus on how artists can work with collections, community memory, and non-traditional archives. Sessions are delivered by experts and leading practitioners in both communities.
Following this foundation period, each artist develops their own project over six months with ongoing guidance from the program partners. At the end of the fellowship, all works will be presented in a public exhibition in the Northern Territory, Australia. The exhibition will also be digitised to form a new alternate and living archive, made accessible online as a lasting resource.
Knowledge Lab Themes and Sessions:
- Introduction and Foundations of Archival Practice
An overview of the core definitions, functions, and historical development of archives, including participant introductions.
Presenting artists will share case studies illustrating how archival materials shape and inform contemporary artistic practice.
- Alternative Archives
An exploration of the forms, significance, and methodologies of alternate archives, supported by a dedicated artist case study presentation.
- Community Archives
An examination of community-led archival models, oral history practices, and museum-based approaches across Australian, North African, and broader global contexts.
Multiple speakers will present case studies highlighting community-driven archival work.
- Narrating Through Artistic Practice
A focus on photography, film, and other visual methodologies as tools for storytelling within archival contexts, including ethical considerations around authorship and representation.
Presenting artists will share case studies addressing the question of who tells the story.
- Living Archives and Digital Repatriation
A study of the concepts, challenges, and emerging practices in the digital return of cultural materials, alongside innovative and experimental artistic approaches that expand ideas of past, present, and future.
Speakers and presenting artists will discuss case studies in this area.
- Technical Approaches for artistic archives
A focused session on artistic production, technical workflows, and archival processes specific to the Sudan Art Archives, supported by case studies.
- Translating Research into Creative Production
Approaches for moving from theoretical and archival research into artistic development and practice-led outcomes.
Speakers will present case studies demonstrating how research evolves into creative work.
- Practical and Reflective Workshop
A concluding session focused on applied learning, collective reflection, and bringing together the ideas explored throughout the Knowledge Lab, with participating artists sharing their stories and the early directions of their developing projects.
Eligibility:
- Mid‑ to later‑career artists (approximately 5–10 years of practice) with a clear sense of their own artistic direction
- Can commit to attending all scheduled sessions (recordings will be available, though live participation is preferred)
- Are respectful, open to diverse ideas, and comfortable engaging in cross‑cultural dialogue
- Work in any artistic discipline — visual, digital, literary, performance, dance, or other forms
- Are from Sudan or Australia, can be based in any country
- Have access to a laptop and reliable internet. If you are located in Darwin, NT or Cape Town, SA, in‑person participation can be arranged.
Fellowship Dates: April 2026 – December 2026
Knowledge Labs: April 2026 – May 2026
Artistic Production: June 2026 – November 2026
Internal Presentations: December 2026
Exhibitions and presentations: (Darwin, Australia) 2027
Application Deadline: March 30th, 2026 11:59 PM GMT+2
