Bakashimika International Photography Festival x British Council Biennale Connect 2026

The Bakashimika International Photography Festival (18–24 June 2024) invites photographers and lens-based artists with ties to Southern Africa and the United Kingdom — including residents, citizens, and members of the diaspora — to participate in a cross-continental artistic collaboration.

The open call seeks four photographers or lens-based artists, two from the UK and two from Southern Africa, who push the boundaries of the image through experimental processes, mixed media, and narratives exploring identity, history, and place.

Selected artists will be supported through online workshops during the development phase and will receive curatorial mentorship to develop joint narratives. They will be invited to Lusaka, Zambia, to exhibit their work and contribute to the Bakashimika International Photography Festival through talks and workshops.

This collaboration offers an opportunity to create immersive, collaborative work and to engage in meaningful cross-continental dialogue with artists from Southern Africa and the UK. The program is designed for artists who are passionate about collaborative creative practices that challenge understandings of identity, history, and place.

Selected artists will be paired across continents and supported with an artist commission (£500 per artist) and a separate production stipend (£700 per pairing). Flights and accommodation will be covered. Applicants residing outside Zambia must be able to travel to Zambia for the duration of the festival in June. Artists already working in pairs are also encouraged to apply.

The project will run from April to June 2026. Participation requires availability for online workshops, curatorial meetings, and public work-in-progress talks. Selected artists must be present in Lusaka from 16 to 24 June for the installation period and the duration of the festival.

Financial Support:

• Artist bursary per artist: £500
• Production budget (printing/framing/installation) per pairing: £700
• Travel (flights to and from Zambia to the UK or Southern African countries)
• Breakfast and lunch provided throughout the festival

Curated by: Towela Kams Tembo (Creatives Connect) and Sana Ginwalla (Everyday Lusaka)
Supported by: British Council Biennale Connect and Anglia Ruskin University

Online Q&A session for applicants:

An online Q&A session will provide further information about the Bakashimika International Photography Festival x British Council Biennale Connect collaboration.

Date: Friday, 27 March at 12 noon (CAT) / 10 am (UK)
Platform: Microsoft Teams

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/32469891386364?p=FnyZfroFOqYKoVpMQJ
Meeting ID: 324 698 913 863 64
Passcode: YV2CU3qy

Selection Criteria:

Submissions should demonstrate:

• Engagement with identity, history, place, or social narratives in Southern Africa and/or the UK
• Experimentation in technique, process, or medium
• A collaborative approach and openness to cross-cultural exchange
• Willingness to engage the Zambian community through interactive projects
• Commitment to dialogue, participation, and skills exchange
• Openness to being thoughtfully paired by the festival team
• Ability to articulate artistic practice within a regional context

Priority consideration will be given to pre-existing pairs already working across regions.

Application Requirements:

Applicants are required to submit:

• Portfolio (link or upload)
• Artist statement (max. 200 words)
• Motivation for participating (max. 150 words)
• Approach to cross-cultural collaboration (max. 150 words)
• Previous experience working across cultural contexts (max. 100 words)
• Project proposal for the residency (max. 300 words)
• Approach to engaging the local Zambian community (max. 100 words)

For the application please fill in this Google form.