Call for Applications

The Climate Story Lab Africa invites dynamic and passionate creators who use art or the media for storytelling about climate change to apply to the first ever Climate Story Lab in South Africa (CSLZA). We’re looking for established and emerging creatives working in a range of disciplines (including film, podcast, journalism, fiction writing, poetry (written or oral) theatre, stand-up comedy, web or television series, VR/XR, digital/social media and more) with projects already in some stage of production.

This programme, including an intensive multi-day residential lab in January 2023, is supported by the UMI Fund and hosted by the UCT Centre for Film and Media Studies in partnership with Doc Society and the Climate Story Unit. CSLZA offers storytellers from Southern Africa an opportunity to develop their projects to better support collective action against activities that contribute to climate change and tell stories about solutions that protect ecosystems and biodiversity.

About the Lab:

The Climate Story Lab ZA vision is to connect the makers of a selection of powerful stories about climate change solutions and wins with experts, strategists, organisational partners and funders. We’ll share materials and prompts with the creatives behind the selected projects to help them prepare for a 4-day residential lab in January, during which we’ll incubate projects and support the development of strategies for greater impact.

When does the Lab take place?

22 – 26 January 2023 in or near Cape Town (full-time)

Any Coronavirus COVID-19 protocols released will be adhered to throughout the Lab.

Who can apply?

Applicants must:

  • Be 18 years or older
  • Submit a project that is in pre-production, production or post-production.
  • Be proficient in English, both written and verbal.  (The production can be in any regional language but the application/proposal must be in English)
  • Be emerging or established creative practitioners using storytelling to talk about climate change
  • Be citizens or permanent residents of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
  • Be willing and able to travel to South Africa for the entire duration of the residential Lab (we will provide travel support)
  • Have a valid passport with at least 4 blank pages, if travelling from outside South Africa
  • Commit to attend all components of the Climate Story Lab South Africa 2022

What to expect from the Climate Story Lab:

  • Story Consultation and development
  • Distribution and impact strategy design support
  • Network building with other climate storytellers, subject matter experts, organisational partners and potential funders
  • Knowledge Sharing about tools, resources, strategies and case studies for this kind of work through 

How to apply:

The application form is available here and requires the following information:

Project title

  • What form your story takes (eg. film, VR, podcast, theatre, etc.)
  • A description of your project (max 1000 words)
  • Key creatives’ biographies, CVs, examples of previous work
  • Your timeline, including what you’ve done already, where you are in the process now, and what still needs to be done
  • Visual/aural/any other relevant extract of or proof of concept for the project you are proposing  (eg. trailer/visual or audio extract/proof of concept/wireframe or whatever is relevant to your medium/art form)
  • Your central message or what you want to say with your story
  • Your goals/what you would like to achieve with your story
  • Who the audience is that you think needs to see/hear/experience your story to create change
  • Who the collaborators are that you are currently working with you and who you would like to work with
  • What existing support you have, who’s funding you or giving you input already
  • Why you are interested in the Lab and what you would like to gain from attending

Important dates:

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Please complete and submit this application form by 5pm SAST Friday, 7 October 2022. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED.

INVITATION: Shortlisted applicants will be notified by Friday 28 October 2022 and successful applicants by Friday 11 November 2022. If you don’t hear from us by then, it means your project has not been selected.

LAB: The Climate Story Lab Africa will run from 22 – 26 January 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa (residential, full-time).

Any questions?

Please contact the programme manager at climatestorylabSA@gmail.com if you have any queries and follow us on our social media accounts for updates and a live Q&A @climatestorylabZA .

*APPLICATION DEADLINE 7 October 2022

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