Opportunities for local creatives

As 2025 sails past its halfway mark, creatives around the country may be looking for a chance to make this year a truly definitive one. Whether you’re a writer eager for your first writing credit in a leading literary magazine, a photographer with a series fit for a gallery or an ambitious artist in search of an international residency, here are three opportunities for local creatives.

Submit to Doek! Literary Magazine

Doek! Literary Magazine is gearing up for its sixteenth issue and the acclaimed local publication is on the hunt for some fresh, new writing and vivid visuals. Currently open for submissions in the categories of fiction, poetry, nonfiction and visual art, Doek! will be accepting work until midnight on Tuesday, 30 September. This year also marks the return of the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards which celebrates the work of Doek! alumni. Co-founded by award-winning local author Rémy Ngamije (‘The Eternal Audience of One’ and ‘Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space’) in 2019, Doek! has been celebrated by Brittle Paper, The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Economist and Words Without Borders. For those with a narrative or visual tale to tell, submission guidelines as well as past issues of Doek! are available online at doeklitmag.com.

Exhibit at Et cetera

Offering a new take on the Old Breweries, Et cetera Art Café and Studio is what founder Jaimee-Lee Diergaardt likes to call “a blank canvas”. Having hosted diverse events such as Savanna Comedy Hour, Passionfruit, Just Breathe, Pride Pop-Up, gingerMe and Creative Entrepreneur Meet & Mingle, the evolving venue’s newest addition is a series of themed group exhibitions beginning with a showcase exploring ‘Contours’ in July. Themes will be ‘Unframed’ in August, ‘In Bloom’ in September, ‘Shadows’ in October, ‘Echoes’ in November’ and ‘A Place Called Home’ in December. Et cetera invites emerging and established artists working across the mediums of visual art, mixed media, installation, photography, print, sculpture and textiles to submit new or existing work for selection. Submissions should include a short description of the artwork and a brief artist bio. For more information, email Et cetera at etcwhk@gmail.com or visit their social media page @etc.namibia.

Apply to Akademie Schloss Solitude

Artists working in visual and performing arts, music, sound, design, literature and art education are invited to apply to Akademie Schloss Solitude, a residency programme in Baden-Württemberg. The bilateral residency programme aims to promote long-term cultural exchange between Namibia and Baden-Württemberg and is supported by the National Art Gallery of Namibia and Goethe-Institut Namibia. Artists are free to choose the focus of their project and applications are due on 8 July. The six-month residency will take place from March to August 2026. The call-out describes the residency as an opportunity for Namibian artists “to integrate into new artistic communities and present their work to a broader audience in Baden-Württemberg”. Two Namibian artists will be selected for the residency which includes events such as readings, exhibitions, discussions and workshops. Individuals of all ages are welcome to apply but cannot be in training or studying at university, unless they are a doctoral candidate. Artists are selected by an international jury. For more information, visit akademie-solitude.de.

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.