The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute. It is known worldwide for promoting intercultural engagement through fostering dialogue and exchange in the arts.

The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg calls for proposals for the 2022 edition of the Goethe-Institut Project Space (GPS), a multi-disciplinary roving project space support programme for South Africa. The programme supports work realised in any part of South Africa; ranging from workshops to exhibitions, events and performances; in any discipline including visual art, performing arts, film, music or combinations of aforementioned forms.

GPS is envisioned as a non-commercial, artist-centered free platform, designed to support not only the artists and their projects, but also the many structures, spaces and festivals that currently exist and need partnerships of this nature in order to continue their work. GPS enables creators in all artistic disciplines to select the space and infrastructure they wish to work with. If awarded, a GPS grant would support both the hosting space and the project itself.

GPS signals a move to decentralize; supporting smaller, less institutional, and non-commercial spaces, and privileging those situated outside of the large metropoles of South Africa. Practitioners will be able to produce their work locally with a partner of their choice and a GPS grant. An independent jury of arts professionals, selected by the Goethe-Institut for their expertise in the field of independent art projects, is responsible for the selection of projects that will be supported in 2022.

GPS forms part of Goethe-Institut’s programme that promotes intercultural engagement through fostering dialogue and exchange in the arts. GPS was conceived succeeding on the GoetheOnMain space, which was based at Arts On Main in Johannesburg from May 2009 to November 2016.

The project aims to support non-commercial work and will privilege experimental content, with the focus above all else on artistic quality. Successful projects additionally maintain sensitivity for their chosen context and consider the local relevance of the themes the work engages.

The partnership is at the core of the GPS project. Proposals will be looked at not only in terms of the work itself but also the space for which it is intended. The jury will consider the appropriateness and track record of the proposed partner space.