PARA Fellowship for Arts Writers
About this opportunity
PARA is a fellowship programme supporting the development and publication of new critical writing about contemporary art. A collaboration between Sharjah Art Foundation, Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, Asia Art Archive, and Contemporary And (C&), five fellows are selected to publish two pieces of art criticism (a compilation piece and an anthology piece), participate in biweekly online sessions (January-June), attend a one-week in-person residency in Sharjah (March), and complete editorial work (June-August).
Application tips
Your writing sample should demonstrate a distinctive critical voice and engagement with contemporary art in your region. The programme values cross-cultural dialogue and new critical perspectives.
Related opportunities
ARAK Collection
Opens: March · Closes: May
The ARAK Collection, one of the largest contemporary African art collections in the Middle East with over 4,000 works, offers fellowships and residencies for art writers, critics, and curators to produce publications and essays engaging with contemporary African art practices. Based in Doha, Qatar, the programme provides substantial funding for research and writing, contributing to critical discourse around African contemporary art.
Kunstlerhaus Buchsenhausen
Opens: December · Closes: March
The Buchsenhausen Fellowship Programme in Innsbruck, Austria, brings together artists and theorists for six months of research, production, and critical exchange. The programme specifically supports work at the intersection of artistic practice and theoretical inquiry, fostering dialogue between creative and critical approaches.
University of Michigan
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Knight-Wallace Arts Journalism Fellowship at the University of Michigan provides experienced arts journalists and critics with a full academic year to deepen their expertise, explore new subjects, and develop projects. A partnership between the Arts Initiative and Wallace House Center for Journalists, fellows audit courses across all departments, participate in weekly seminars with guest speakers, and pursue a long-form arts journalism project. Now in its second year, the inaugural fellow was NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas.