The DECK Associate Creative Programme invites Singapore and internationally-based artists, curators, cultural producers, collectives and creative thinkers from around the world to participate in the Open Call.

Taking photography as both the vantage point and point of departure, we welcome proposals that uncover our contemporary community values and ideals that generate new knowledge, whilst bridging cultural divides.

Proposals may take on formats such as – a) exhibition proposals; b) scholarship & publications; c) education & outreach programmes; d) photography-based projects; e) research-based projects; f) a series of public engagement that explores photography/visual culture – and further afield. Applicants may also choose to propose alternative formats of presentation or engagement, as they see fit in the context of their proposal.

To learn more about the Open Call and the submission guidelines, please click here to view the brief.

How to Apply
Interested applicants are required to submit the following as part of their application via Google Forms (TINY.CC/ACP-2023), by 7 June 2023 (Tues), 2359 hrs (GMT +8):

– Personal Statement (max. 500 words) rationalising your interest in the programme and the goals of your project;
– A Robust Proposal elaborating the project, project outcomes, plans for public programmes (if applicable), an indicative timeline, a simple budget proposal, and any other relevant materials.
– Updated Curriculum Vitae(s).

Programme Provisions
The DECK Associate Creative Programme will provide successful Associates with the following:
– A stipend of SGD 2,500;
– Access to DECK’s resources;
– Capacity building and support from DECK’s network of creative professionals;
– Where feasible, resources towards the realisation of research/programming outcomes.

Deliverables for Successful Associates
Following the three–month research/creation period, successful Associates are expected to deliver the following:
– Management and successful delivery of proposed project;
– A report detailing their research findings;
– A digital copy of their research notes for archival purposes;
– A public presentation of their creative outcomes from the Programme.

Eligibility
The DECK Associate Creative Programme is open to applicants of all nationalities, age, ethnicities, genders, and stages of professional development.

Proposal Selection Process
All submissions will be reviewed by DECK’s team and shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview with an evaluation panel, comprising of industry professionals, to present their proposals. Applicants will be evaluated on the merits of their submitted proposal, and if shortlisted, in conjunction with their proposal presentations, against the following considerations:
– Relevance to programme’s brief and contemporary discourse;
– Originality and innovative ideas that address potential gaps within visual culture and scholarship;
– Cohesiveness and feasibility of proposal.

For any technical difficulties accessing the form or general enquires, please feel free to reach out to the DECK team at meet@deck.sg.

Installation View of “The Salt of the Earth”, curated by Talia Smith, for the 8th Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF, 2022)

Territo/Realities, a film programme curated by Alfonse Chiu, developed as part of DECK Associate Creative Programme 2021

The 2021 edition of the programme saw 2 Associates, Talia Smith and Alfonse Chiu, developing an exhibition proposal and curating a film programme respectively.

During the course of the programme, Talia developed an exhibition proposal titled “The Salt of the Earth“, that explores the way in which the familial ties that bind shape and informs who we are, through the works of 4 Australian and New Zealander artists. Talia then went on to realise her proposal and presented her exhibition at the 8th Singapore International Photography Festival.

Alfonse curated a film programme titled “Territo/Realities“, which surveys the complicated relationship between humanity and planet Earth, as told by the images we make of them. The programme brought together 12 films in 3 chapters, hosted at the Alliance Française de Singapour, expanding our understanding of what it means to take a picture of our world.