Organizer Information: Tender Photos is a digital platform for African photography and visual storytelling, co-founded by Emmanuel Iduma and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. Our aim is to contribute to nuanced and layered perceptions of the continent by publishing narratives about the people, places, and events pictured in photographs, while promoting the work of visual storytellers and photographers.

Title & Description: Tender Photos is pleased to announce a call for applications to Tender Visions, a new cross-disciplinary commissioning program for photographers and writers based on the African continent, supported by funding from the Open Society Foundation. Eight photographers will be selected through this open call and commissioned to produce new work within their communities, guided by predefined themes. Sixteen writers will also be selected from this call to write original creative or critical responses to the photographic projects.

This program will provide photographers with the opportunity to develop new, theme-based projects rooted in their local communities, while fostering collaborative engagements with writers who will produce creative and critical texts that contextualize the visual work. Our aim is to create space for deepened engagement with visual storytelling in Africa, and to bring new narratives to local and international audiences in insightful and thought-provoking ways.

Category: Photography and Writing

Eligibility: Africa-based writers and photographers.

Location: Online

  • Key Dates: The deadline is July 15, 2025.
  • Application Fee: No Application Fees
  • Awards & Benefits:  Each photographer will be paid a total sum of £1000 or its equivalent in local currency.  Each writer will be paid a total fee of £750 or its equivalent in local currency.  Writers can also apply for a travel stipend on a need-based basis.
  • Contact Information: Website- www.tenderphotos.com | email: projects@tender.photoaa@tender.photo