Organizer Information
Delfina Foundation is a London-based non-profit dedicated to facilitating artistic exchange and developing creative practice through residencies, partnerships, and public programming. It was founded in 2007 by Delfina Entrecanales CBE as the successor to the Delfina Studio Trust, initially with an intention to nurture artists from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, and it has since grown into an internationally oriented organization working around thematic rather than purely geographic programmes. Delfina Foundation is described as London's largest provider of international residencies, hosting emerging and established artists, curators, collectors, and writers from around the world for artistic research and development. The foundation is based at 29-31 Catherine Place in Victoria, London, in adjoining Edwardian townhouses that hold exhibition and events spaces alongside accommodation for residents. Since 2007, it has supported more than 450 resident artists and curators, and its programmes have continued to expand geographically, including recent moves to open residencies to artists from underserved regions.
Within this framework, Delfina Foundation runs a Network of Patrons for Africa, which supports the residency described below for curators based in Central and West Africa.
Title & Description
Residency Open Call for Curators Based in Central and West Africa
Delfina Foundation is accepting applications from curators based in Central and West Africa for a residency in London, supported by Delfina's Network of Patrons for Africa. The selected applicant(s) will take part in a six- or twelve-week residency within Delfina's winter 2027 season, running from 5 January to 28 March 2027. Delfina runs four three-month residency seasons each year, each dedicated either to open independent research or to thematic collective research; this particular residency falls within an "open" season, meaning residents pursue their own independent research agenda rather than a prescribed theme.
The residency includes guided visits to museums, galleries, non-profits, artist-run spaces, and studios (including trips outside London), opportunities to engage with artists, curators, academics, and researchers through organized presentations and studio visits, professional development activities such as portfolio reviews and mentoring, and informal collaborative exchange with fellow residents.
Categories
- Residency
- Curatorial
- Research
Eligibility
- Applicant must hold nationality of, and currently be based in, one of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Togo
- At least five years of professional curatorial practice in a freelance, academic, or institutional context (years need not be continuous)
- Must be able to explain how the international residency experience will benefit both the individual and their local networks
- Proficient in English, as the interview is conducted in English and applicants must be able to confidently present and discuss their practice
- Applicants whose primary professional practice is curating (not primarily practicing artists, even if they have done occasional curatorial projects)
- Duos or collectives may apply but must designate one member to represent them in-residence, who must lead the application
- Open to applicants with prior international experience, provided current nationality/base requirement is met
- Open to applicants who have previously applied unsuccessfully to Delfina open calls
Program Benefits & Awards
- Six- or twelve-week residency placement in Delfina's winter 2027 season
- Return economy-class flight
- Airport transfers in the UK
- Reimbursement of visa fees, if required
- Living allowance of £40 per day
- Materials/research allowance of £70 per week
- Travel pass for London's public transport network
- Single bedroom with a desk at Delfina Foundation, in a shared house hosting up to 8 residents (shared bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchen, library, dining room)
- Guided visits, professional development activities (crits, portfolio reviews, mentoring), and organized engagement opportunities with artists, curators, academics, and researchers
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 30 August 2026
- Notification of results: late September 2026
- Residency period: 5 January – 28 March 2027 (winter 2027 season)
Location
London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- Only curators whose current practice and professional focus are centred on curatorial work are eligible; applicants primarily practicing as artists are not eligible even with occasional curatorial projects.
- Duos or collectives may apply only by putting forward one member to represent them in residence and lead the application; the accommodation (eight single rooms) limits collective hosting.
- Partners, children, dependents, and pets/ESAs cannot be accommodated onsite; participants needing to be accompanied must arrange their own separate accommodation.
- Delfina Foundation welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, including D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent applicants, and is open to discussing access adaptations for the application process and residency; access queries can be directed to Director of Operations Gillean Dickie (gillean@delfinafoundation.com), subject line "Open call: access."
- General queries can be sent to opencall@delfinafoundation.com.
- Applicants who previously applied unsuccessfully to a Delfina open call are encouraged to reapply, as the foundation regularly receives more strong applications than available places.