APWLD Launches 2026 Uprising / Art Rising Feminist Artivism Fellowship for Asia-Pacific Artists
The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) has announced the 2026 call for applications for its Uprising / Art Rising: Feminist Artivism Fellowship, a regional programme designed to support artists using creative practice to engage with feminist struggles and social justice movements across the Asia-Pacific region.
Applications for the fellowship will open from 8–28 May 2026, with selected fellows receiving financial and curatorial support to develop and present their work across regional advocacy platforms.
A Fellowship Connecting Art and Feminist Activism
The fellowship is designed to bring together artists working across visual arts, theatre, film, video, digital media, and interdisciplinary practices to co-create works that reflect women’s lived experiences in the context of structural inequality.
The programme builds on APWLD’s previous collaborative initiative, On Debt Row: A Multidisciplinary Art Exhibition on Debt and Its Impact on Lives in the Global South, which explored how debt and economic systems shape women’s lives globally. The 2026 fellowship expands this approach by integrating artistic production directly into feminist movement-building and advocacy work.
Selected fellows will work closely with APWLD programmes and grassroots partners to develop politically grounded artistic projects informed by feminist analysis frameworks, including the Patriarchy, Globalisation, Fundamentalisms and Militarism (PGFM) framework.
Focus Areas for Artistic Exploration
The fellowship encourages applicants to develop work centered on key feminist and socio-political themes affecting women in the Asia-Pacific region, including:
- Feminist economic justice and debt systems
- Climate justice and environmental resistance
- Peace, militarism, and surveillance
- Food sovereignty and agroecological systems
- Feminist trade justice and corporate accountability
- Labour rights and migration experiences
Each theme is designed to support creative interpretations of systemic inequality and highlight grassroots resistance movements led by women and marginalized communities.
Fellowship Structure and Activities
The fellowship will run from June to November 2026 and includes both online and in-person components.
Early Engagement and Orientation
Selected fellows will participate in a virtual onboarding session in June 2026, where they will be introduced to APWLD’s frameworks, including its Theory of Change and feminist development justice approach. Fellows will also present and refine their project proposals based on collective feedback.
Collaborative Development Phase
Throughout the fellowship, participants will be paired with APWLD programmes and regional partners who will provide thematic guidance, mentorship, and contextual insights. Fellows may also be invited to participate in APWLD events relevant to their selected focus areas.
During this phase, each fellow or team will develop at least one completed creative output aligned with their approved concept.
Regional Exhibition and Showcase
A key milestone of the fellowship will take place in October 2026, when fellows will travel to Bangkok, Thailand to participate in Uprising / Art Rising: A Feminist Art Space. This event will serve as a collaborative exhibition and advocacy platform where completed works will be showcased alongside feminist activists and regional movements.
The fellowship will conclude in November 2026 with an online reflection session and submission of a documentation report capturing the creative process, outcomes, and learning experiences.
Funding and Support Structure
Each selected fellow or team will receive a stipend of USD 3,000 to support production costs and implementation of their proposed artistic work. APWLD will provide additional curatorial, analytical, and logistical support throughout the fellowship period.
The organisation will also promote fellows’ work across its communication platforms, including social media, publications, and exhibitions, while retaining the right to feature and reproduce selected works for advocacy and educational purposes.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
The fellowship is open to artists based in the Asia-Pacific region working in visual, performance, film, digital, or interdisciplinary arts.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate:
- Experience producing work on women’s rights or social justice themes
- Engagement with feminist movements or grassroots activism
- Strong conceptual clarity and feasibility of proposed artistic work
- Commitment to feminist movement-building principles
- Ability to travel internationally if required
- Proficiency in English and at least one regional language
Both individual and team applications are accepted, though funding remains fixed at USD 3,000 per selected entry.
A Platform for Feminist Art and Movement Building
The fellowship reflects APWLD’s broader mission to advance women’s human rights and development justice across Asia and the Pacific through feminist advocacy, research, and creative engagement.
By integrating artistic production with activist frameworks, the programme positions creative expression as a powerful tool for political engagement, storytelling, and structural critique.
LEARN MORE & APPLY HERE
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
