Application Deadline: 9 November 2025, 23:59 SAST.
Applications are now open for the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) Futures_Past funding program. The Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and in partnership with Electric South, invite applications from immersive artists in South Africa, Malawi, and Lesotho to take part in an exciting new initiative that reimagines the future of heritage through immersive storytelling.
Futures_Past: Amplifying Memory with Immersive Technologies is a dedicated project that supports archival and cultural institutions in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi to explore new ways of engaging the public through immersive storytelling.
The project focuses on reanimating archival collections using digital formats such as virtual and augmented reality, spatial audio, and interactive installations. The project is also designed to support the immersive arts in the three countries through funding, support and a mobility and networking programme.
The project has three core components:
- A sector mapping and policy study on immersive arts in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, with input from regional stakeholders and French experts;
- The creation of six original immersive digital storytelling projects, inspired by archival collections from institutions in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, developed through open calls. This also includes a capacity development programme to train emerging assistant producers under the age of 30;
- A mobility and networking programme in France, connecting Southern African archivists and producers with French immersive arts institutions and festivals.
Requirements
The program is seeking teams comprising of at least four key roles with experience in immersive media or related fields, and an interest in archives, history, and storytelling: 1) a creator (director, creative lead), 2) a technologist lead, 3) a producer, and 4) an emerging trainee assistant producer who will receive training as part of this initiative.
- All key team members must have at least three years of experience in their respective practices. This does not apply to the trainee assistant producer.
- The director must be from and/or resident in the country where the archive is based. If the director is not currently based in the city/country where the archive is located, they must be able to travel to the archive.
- While it is preferable for other key team members to also be from or residing in the country where the archive is based, teams can include members from elsewhere in Africa, as long as the director meets the requirements.
- Each team must include at least four members: director, technologist, producer, as well as a trainee assistant producer. Additional members with relevant expertise may also be included.
- The trainee producer must be under the age of 30.
- Selection will aim for gender balance among participants, but teams of any gender composition are welcome to apply.
- Team experience, cohesion, location and the balance of skills will be assessed to ensure capacity to deliver the project.
- Teams should demonstrate both technical expertise and a strong creative vision. If any of the core roles are performed by the same person, documentation of expertise in all areas is required.
- The program is looking for teams who are open and collaborative. You will be working directly with archival institutions, collaborating closely with archivists and staff to develop immersive projects. Many of the institutions are already working with local communities and stakeholders. Openness, adaptability, and a spirit of co-creation are essential to ensure that the archives’ collections are interpreted respectfully and engagingly.
Budget and Timeline
Each selected team will receive between R500,000 and R1,200,000 in financial support, depending on the scale and scope of their proposed work. This funding covers artist fees and production expenses, including fees, technology, overheads and all other project-specific costs. Selected teams will also receive mentorship, facilitated access to archives, and exhibition opportunities. Funds will be managed in tranches by Electric South. Co-funding, additional support, and co-production models are encouraged and welcomed.
All projects need to be completed by August 2026 – this means a production timeline of approximately seven months.
In addition, a separate fund will be allocated to support exhibition installation and management, ensuring that completed works are presented effectively and professionally.
Eligible Immersive Formats
Proposals may make use of one or more of the following formats and technologies (but are not limited to these):
- 360 Degree Video – allowing users to look around and explore a scene in every direction.
- Virtual Reality (VR) – fully digital, explorable worlds.
- Augmented Reality (AR) – overlays digital content onto the physical world.
- Mixed Reality (MR) – blending digital and physical environments.
- Extended Reality (XR) – encompassing VR, AR, and MR experiences.
- Capture – volumetric, photogrammetry, and motion capture (MoCap) of people, objects or spaces.
- Lidar – laser scanning for 3D mapping.
- Responsive Environments – installations that interact with audiences.
- Sensors – interactive triggers responding to touch, sound or movement.
- Haptics and Sensory Feedback – tactile or multisensory interfaces.
- Ambisonics – audio that surrounds listeners from all directions.
- Binaural Sound – spatialised audio that mimics human hearing.
- Quadraphonic / 5.1 Sound – surround audio environments.
- Exciters – speakers creating vibration-based sound out of surfaces.
- Spatial Audio – 3D soundscapes with positional effects.
Please note: Projects must be innovative, immersive and/or interactive; submissions that are purely 2D, sculptural, or traditional film works will not be considered for the project.
Benefits
- Project funding.
- Access to archival collections and guidance from archivists.
- Mentorship from regional and international experts.
- Production support and technical resources.
- One team member from each selected team will travel to France to develop international relationships and partnerships.
- Opportunities for public exhibition in museums, libraries, and cultural venues.
How to Apply
Applicants will be asked to submit:
- An explanation of why you want to work with a particular archive. We want to see why you are excited to work with the archive.
- A short proposal describing your project idea and approach.
- Mood boards and other visual materials that give a sense of your approach to realising the project idea.
- Information about your team members, including relevant experience.
- Examples of previous immersive work.
- At least two contactable references.
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