Organizer Information
Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands’ national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture, is launching the sixth iteration of the Tilting Axis Fellowship in partnership with Tilting Axis, a Caribbean-based network supporting contemporary art and cultural exchange. The programme also involves leading cultural institutions, including Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The fellowship aims to strengthen connections between practitioners in the Caribbean and the Dutch cultural field through research, dialogue, networking and knowledge exchange.
Title & Description
Tilting Axis Fellowship 2027
Tilting Axis Fellowship 2027 is a six-week research and exchange fellowship for Caribbean-based practitioners whose work explores how knowledge is produced, preserved and contested. The programme is particularly interested in practices engaging with archives, storytelling, digital platforms, community knowledge, memory, social or environmental change, collaboration, technology and lived experience.
Two fellows will participate in a six-week programme during April and May 2027, including a tailor-made visit to the Netherlands featuring meetings, site visits and conversations with artists, researchers, cultural practitioners and institutions. Fellows define their own desired outcome or project milestone and participate in weekly check-ins throughout the fellowship.
Categories
- Writing
- Film
- Sound
- Design
- Research
- Architecture
- Curating
- Digital Culture
- Interdisciplinary Practice
- Cultural Production and other creative or research-based practices.
Eligibility
The fellowship is open internationally within the eligible Caribbean region to researchers, designers, writers, curators and cultural producers based in the listed Caribbean countries and territories. There is no age limit, and applicants do not need a formal degree or institutional affiliation.
Applicants should demonstrate creativity, critical thinking and strong potential in their practice. A working knowledge of English is required, although English does not need to be the applicant’s first language.
Eligible locations include Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Providencia, Puerto Rico, Saba, San Andrés, St. Barthélemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands and US Virgin Islands.
Applicants may apply individually or as a pair from different Caribbean regions. A pair must include one applicant from the Dutch Caribbean.
Program Benefits & Awards
Each fellow receives a €2,500 stipend for the broader fellowship period and up to €1,000 in additional travel support connected to their research proposal.
During the Netherlands visit, Nieuwe Instituut separately covers travel to and from the Netherlands and the costs of the week-long programme. Fellows may extend their stay at their own expense.
The programme also provides networking, research opportunities, institutional connections, cultural exchange, tailored meetings and site visits in the Netherlands.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Applicants must submit their proposal by email to ta-fellowship@nieuweinstituut.nl with the subject line: “Tilting Axis Fellowship 2027 – [Applicant Name]”.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 15 October 2026
- Shortlisted applicants invited to interviews: 2–3 November 2026
- Online interview session: 9 November 2026
- Online interview session: 10 November 2026
- Fellowship period: April–May 2027
- Tailor-made Netherlands visit; exact timing determined with selected fellows: During April–May 2027
Location
Caribbean region and the Netherlands
Additional Details
Five shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview with three jury members before the final selection. The jury includes representatives from Nieuwe Instituut, Stedelijk Museum, Tilting Axis/Fresh Milk, RAA!, Martinique and Instituto Buena Bista.
Applicants may contact the organisers regarding specific questions or access requirements. Translation support is not currently available.