National Arts Festival Opens Call for 2026 Curated Programme

The National Arts Festival is now accepting applications for the Curated Programme, which will be staged at the 52nd National Arts Festival in Makhanda from 25 June to 5 July 2026.

The Curated Programme is a selection of works chosen by the Festival’s Artistic Director and Artistic Committee. Artists and companies are invited to submit applications as part of this call but works are also invited by the Festival based on artistic merit, innovation and relevance. The Curated Programme (previously also known as the Main Programme) represents the heart of the Festival’s vision and showcases compelling contemporary work across disciplines.

Artists, producers and creative practitioners are encouraged to apply by 3 October 2025 (midnight SAST) via the online application form on the National Arts Festival’s website.

Applicants can submit works under one of three categories:

• Completed Works: Fully created works that have been publicly presented and are ready to tour. These may be new or previously staged works.
• Works in Development: Projects that are currently being created and still require development before public presentation.
• New Ideas: Works in a conceptual or early planning phase.

While the Festival is primarily seeking Completed Works and Works in Development for the 2026 programme, submissions under New Ideas are welcome as part of a broader conversation with artists.

Says the National Arts Festival’s Artistic Director, Rucera Seethal, “The selection process for the 2026 programme will yet again challenge us to consider the extraordinary depth and breadth of this country’s creative imagination. At its heart, the Curated Programme represents a moment in time for our culture and our nation. For the Artist Programme team, this is an exciting time to engage with artistic ideas and work proposals, exposing directions for next year’s Festival.”  

The Festival does not ask artists to respond to a theme, rather leaving the response thematically open with the Artistic team drawing the threads that run through submitted works into the programme. Applicants may submit up to two proposals and all applications will be reviewed by the Artistic Director and Artistic Committee, with shortlisted applicants notified by 14 November 2025.

For any queries about the application process, please email proposals@nationalartsfestival.co.za

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