Organizer Information:

The Contrapuntal is an independent, open-access, non-profit publication based in the Netherlands, operating at the intersection of critical inquiry and artistic practice. This project is supported by het Cultuurfonds.

Title & Description:

Applications are open for the project Post-Panoptics: Embodied Surveillance and the Architectures of Control.

This publication project seeks rigorous, cross-disciplinary work mapping how power concentrates through surveillance, from biometric borders to university monitoring and automated welfare decisions. The editorial team is looking for pieces that expand the definition of surveillance and examine emerging forms of resistance, opacity, and autonomy.

Category:

Journalism, Research & Multimedia Arts.

Eligibility:

  • Who: Investigative/long-form journalists (particularly those in the Netherlands/Benelux region), academics, researchers, and multimedia artists (photography, documentary video, installation, data visualization, comics, etc.).
  • Affiliation: No institutional affiliation is required.
  • Originality: All submitted work must be original and previously unpublished.

Program Benefits & Awards (Commission Fees):

Selected contributors are paid fairly upon commission. All work goes through full structural editing and fact-checking.

  • Deep-Dive Investigative Features (approx. 5,000 words): €1,000
  • Visual Essays (photo/video essays, documentary, length agreed at commission): €1,000
  • Illustrated Graphic Essays (comics/graphic narratives, format agreed at commission): €1,000
  • Analytical Op-Eds (short, argumentative, 2,500–3,000 words): €500
  • Artistic Features (featuring existing projects that fit the theme): €200 honorarium

Application Requirements:

Do not send completed work. Applicants must submit a single pitch document (approx. 500 words) containing:

  1. Subject and Angle: What is the piece, and what is your specific argument?
  2. Why You: Your expertise, access, or perspective.
  3. Why Now: The urgency or news hook.
  4. Format and Length: Specify which commission category you are applying for. (Visual/multimedia pitches must include a treatment or sample work).
  5. Brief Biography: Maximum 120 words, with links to relevant published work.

How to Apply?

Submit your 500-word pitch via email to submissions.thecontrapuntal@protonmail.com.

  • Subject Line Format: Pitch — [Category] — [Working Title]

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: April 15, 2026.
  • Notification: Receipt acknowledged within two weeks; final response within eight weeks.

Location:

The Netherlands / Online (Global).

Contact Information:

Email: submissions.thecontrapuntal@protonmail.com

Website: The Contrapuntal Open Call