Opportunities for Artists

CALLING ALL WRITERS, CULTURAL RESEARCHERS & ART HISTORIANS

LuCAC in partnership with the ARAK Collection @arak_artcollection invites all writers, cultural researchers & art historians based in any part of Zambia to apply for a three-day critical writing workshop to be held at the Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre from Friday 31 July – Sunday 2 August, 2026

The workshop will focus on ” the relationship between art, politics, and social transformation”

This workshop will examine how art functions as an active political force capable of challenging systems of oppression, documenting public sentiment, and influencing policy conversations. Participants will critically explore how artists respond to governance, economic inequality, social injustice, elections, labor struggles, and public memory.

The curriculum will engage participants in examining historical and contemporary case studies of politically engaged art in Zambia and across Southern Africa. It will consider the role of protest music, political cartoons, public murals, performance art, literature, and contemporary exhibitions as forms of civic participation. Special attention will be given to how cultural spaces continue to foster critical dialogue around decoloniality as a tool for a completely independent national identity, underscoring the collective consciousness of traditional gathering and deliberate process of practice.

By the end of the workshop, participants will produce original critical essays that position art as both a mirror of society and a powerful instrument for transformation and accountability. The workshop ultimately seeks to cultivate a group of writers capable of documenting cultural movements, interrogating political realities, and contributing meaningfully to Zambia’s evolving artistic and intellectual landscape.

Application Process & Deadline
Interested participants from all parts of Zambia are invited to submit a 500-word writing sample through the Google Form available below, or by scanning the QR code on the poster.
Apply here

The deadline for submission is Tuesday, 30th June 2026.