(A)WAKE is pleased to announce its Open Call for the upcoming New Radicalisms festival

New Radicalisms – but… where are you really from?

(A)WAKE is pleased to announce its Open Call for the upcoming New Radicalisms festival.

For its second edition, New Radicalisms takes as a starting point the inquisitive question “but… where are you really from?”. This question may arise from genuine curiosity regarding differences or search for similarities, as much as it undeniably conceals a deep trench between people and pulls to the surface the tensions in questionable dichotomies of the local/foreigner, autochtoon/allochtoon, alien/native, عربي/ نصراني, us/them, expat/immigrant, بلدي/ رومي, or guest/host, lower/higher class. This question usually pops up in the middle of an encounter when the answer to “where are you from?” doesn’t seem to be enough. When your interlocutor detects an unsolved sign of foreignness in you, the “really” is added to drill deeper into the discomfort of being seen as a stranger and explaining your presence.

What would you rather be asked about through the question “but… where are you really from?” What answers can be imagined instead of the ones expected? What are the definitions of belonging that can be proposed? Throughout the festival, we explore pro-positive suggestions and insights for more elaborate readings and responses to this question and beyond.

Within this frame, the festival focuses on nourishing conversations among diaspora from the WANA region (West Asia and North Africa) and their allies. Gathering together in a shared space for a condensed period of time, creates a new landscape from where we can explore the meaning of New Radicalisms together from our particular experiences of exile. Throughout the festival, we unravel subjects such as the meaning of being local, (mixed) cultural heritage, transnational solidarities, and our agency and role within digital culture. By informing ourselves and understanding these powers, we can hopefully challenge the political, digital and social protocols to collectively take a more conscious position.

Before applying read all the details about the Open Call below.

About the Open Call

In order to make space for the hidden gems, unusual suspects and surprising proposals, we offer 50% of our program to be selected through an open call application; which amounts to 3 proposals for the Performance Program and 5 proposals for the Context Program. The Open Call is addressed to artists, writers, designers, curators and researchers from West Asia and North Africa, whether living in the region or in the diaspora.

The Performance and Context Programs reflect on the themes of the festival around diasporic agency within and in relation to digital culture. The promise of an accessible, free and fair digital space, while still largely monopolized by North American and Western European technocrats, continues to reproduce the gender and racial biases inherited from the patriarcal colonial era creating contradictions and new (un)familiar paradoxes.

Digital culture refers to all the digitally mediated technologies we are surrounded by and embedded in. These technologies, whether physical machines or invisible codes or even the Internet itself, are deeply intertwined in the everyday design process; from how things are made and distributed, to the overarching geopolitical and economic reality of the 21st century. Through these digital technologies, we are able to produce code-processed images, 3D-print a tiny screw or a real-size house, as well as fabricate alter-egos or deep-fakes in a simulated virtual reality space. In this sense, digital culture refers to the code, the machine that produced the code, the people who wrote and own it, and their undeniable influence on our daily life.

We invite proposals for both the Performance Program and the Context program that explore the notion of ‘new radicalisms’ in relation to the WANA region, the role of diaspora within and in relation to digital culture.

The selection will be announced at the end of May through the jury committee consisting of: Meriem Bennani, artist – Omar Kholeif, curator and writer – Adham Hafez, choreographer and writer, in addition to members of (A)WAKE: Shirin Mirachor, Hilda Moucharrafieh, Salim Bayri, and Isshaq Albarbary.

Eligibility for the Performance Program

We invite artists from the WANA region (and in the diaspora) to apply with time-based works (whether previously shown or not yet) which can range from artistic performances, interventions, live-shows, and any forms in between.

—  The proposed work is already developed, in the sense that it is not a new commission.
—  The work can be an adaptation to a previous work that you have shown. This could be adjustments for the site of the festival, both formally and/or contextually.
—  The work is time-based, whether as a performance, participatory interactive work, or durational intervention in the space.
— The work may reflect on and emphasize the cultural aspect of digital culture; in the way it is formed and forms us, and/or the role it has in our daily social and political realities.
—  The work could directly or indirectly shed light on different approaches to the notion of ‘new radicalisms’ as social practices, individual and collective movements, and actions.
—  The work could (re)present a multifaceted and challenging understanding of the WANA diaspora to the tokenised and boxed status quo.

Eligibility for the Context Program

We invite writers, artists, designers, curators and researchers from the WANA region (and in the diaspora) to submit their proposal for a panel talk, lecture, workshop or artist presentation.

—  The content has relevance to the festival’s theme and includes challenging perspectives.
—  The content reflects on and emphasizes the cultural aspect of digital culture; in the way it is formed and forms us, and/or the role it has in our daily social and political realities.
— The content could (re)present a multifaceted and challenging understanding of the WANA diaspora to the tokenised and boxed status quo.
— The talk, lecture, workshop or discussion is between 45 to 90 minutes.
— The content considers and is able to engage and/or interact with a young audience (18 – 35) that mostly identifies as third-culture kids in The Netherlands, queer, migrant artists from WANA, and allies and have a wide variation of cultural, social and educational background.

Application Guidelines

—  Fill in the application form here.
—  Write a description about the presented work, including how it pertains to the context of New Radicalisms festival.
—  Upload documentation (images and videos) in case the work was previously presented.
—  Upload your CV including education background and relevant experience.
— Upload your visual portfolio when relevant (max. file size 25MB). In case of large video files, please send us links via Vimeo or YouTube (using password).
— Submit a technical rider listing the necessary materials needed for a performance or workshop.
—  Submit a cost overview. (only applicable for applications for the Performance Program)

Important note 

— Only completely filled applications will be considered for the selection process. Meeting the criteria makes your application eligible for consideration by the jury committee.
— The festival reserves up to 600,- euros to cover the production costs per performance/workshop.
— In addition to productional and PR support, we offer the following fees (excluding VAT):

  • Performance fee: 250,- euros (per person)
  • Artist talk: 250,- euros
  • Panel talk: 250,- euros (per person)
  • Lecture: 400,- euros
  • Workshop: 400,- euros

— We offer reimbursement for travel and accommodation costs up to 150,- euros per person. Please specify in your cost overview if you expect to exceed this amount.
— (A)WAKE team is willing to write letters of support for selected applicants, if they need to apply for additional funds or visa procedures.
— In case of changing COVID regulations, unsuccessful grant application and/or incomplete visa procedures, (A)WAKE has the right to adjust and/or change dates of the festival.

Important dates

  • 15 May 2022: Application deadline
  • 28 May 2022: Jury meeting short list
  • 30 May 2022: Announcement of selected projects
  • 30 June – 3rd of July 2022: Festival

Any questions?

In case of any further questions, you can contact us directly at hello@a-wake.world