International Alert Arts Fellowship 

Objective 

A 4–6-month paid fellowship to create artwork about everyday local cross border co-operation between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the aim of supporting ongoing peacebuilding and social cohesion programmes. 

Project background 

The Fellow will work with International Alert’s cross border programmes in Rwanda and DRC. The fellowship is funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council of the UK, through the Rights for Time network, which encourages NGOs, policy-makers, researchers and artists to consider how time (long histories, cycles, trauma) affects humanitarian protection. 

The Access for Justice project – Uhaki bila Mipaka – is run by International Alert in collaboration with iPeace and Pole Institute, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kigali. It began on December 1^st, 2022 and has a four-year duration. The project seeks to contribute to improved access to justice to reduce tensions and strengthen stability in the Great Lakes Region. It provides legal information and representation to populations that move across borders, whilst also working to improve strategic structural problems through the promotion of dialogue and regional cooperation. 

The Mupaka Shamba Letu (MSL) project – or Our Border Our Livelihood – is also a cross border project that centres on strengthening cross border trade as a vehicle for greater understanding and interdependence between divided communities across borders. In doing so, it develops the capacities of women cross border traders and private sector actors to be more involved in peace and security issues and promotes inclusive economic growth to bridge the economic inequalities that contribute to conflict.Group purchasing mechanisms set up by Women traders cooperatives and supported by the MSL project show how communities can come together across borders and trust each other to such an extent that they now operate amidst/ despite tense regional political context 

Role of the Fellow 

The Fellow will:

• Spend time with programme teams to understand their work and speak to existing key stakeholders about what they might wish to explore or communicate to wider audiences through the arts.
• Plan the development and delivery of artworks that extend and communicate one or both of the two programmes to defined audiences (to be agreed). Plans will also include details of how the work will be shared with local communities, nationally and internationally. These could include but are not limited to exhibitions, film screenings, performances, storytelling sessions, social media campaigns and publications.
• Consult with International Alert and Rights for Time to check the relevance, sensitivity and feasibility of these plans. International Alert will help the Fellow establish collaborative networks and identify relevant resources.
• Deliver and disseminate agreed artworks within the defined time period. Copyright will remain with the artist but International Alert and partners will be granted rights to use words and/or images relating to the work both online and in publications.
• Work with media and key stakeholders to facilitate artwork reaching target audiences.
• Write up a report on the Fellowship that can be used for reporting to funders and to inform future arts collaborations within the development sector. 

Potential target audiences for the artworks include:

• Participants in the Access to Justice and/or Mupaka Shamba Letu projects who themselves move across borders regularly.
• Populations living in border areas who do not regularly cross borders but who come into contact with those who do.
• Wider populations in Rwanda and the DRC whose main sources of information about cross-border contact may be through (potentially polarising) social media.
• Local authorities and civil society organisations working with the Access to Justice Programme.
• National stakeholders in Rwanda and the DRC being addressed by the Access to Justice programme.
• International funders, NGOs and arts organisations.

The Arts Fellow will lead on developing the nature of their work, scope, aims and audiences in conversation with International Alert and Rights for Time. The proposed artwork should align with the overall project’s aims and will be developed in agreement with partners but there are no pre-determined fixed expectations. 

The Fellow will work closely with the Access to Justice and/or Mupaka Shamba Letu teams on the ground in Rwanda and the DRC. They will have access to office space in Kigali, Gisenyi and/or Goma (to be agreed) and will be managed by the Kigali International Alert office. They will also meet virtually with Dr Zoë Norridge from the Rights for Time network. If helpful, Rights for Time will assist the Fellow with setting up peer support networks with other arts practitioners in and beyond the region. 

Ways of working 

The Access to Justice project involves contact with vulnerable people discussing sensitive issues. It is therefore vital that:

• The Arts Fellow seeks and follows advice from International Alert and partners to ensure their own safety and that of others (physical and emotional).
• Artworks are developed collaboratively, involving active participation of community stakeholders.
• Ethics considerations are outlined in the Fellow’s plans, including (but not limited to) confidentiality, anonymity, informed consent, cultural sensitivity, gender equality, avoiding stereotypes and stakeholder dignity.
• Artworks seek to uphold International Alert’s values around peacebuilding, inclusion, social equality, collaboration, sustainability and the prevention of violence. 

Budget & Timescales 

Budget: Total budget for the artist’s fee, production and dissemination costs is: RWF 60 million. We encourage applicants to set aside some budget for peer support and networking directly related to the project with other artists in the region. Depending on the nature of the work, the Fellow is also welcome to cost in project assistance. In addition, the Fellow will have access to International Alert’s resources, including desk space, internet access, feedback and security guidance. Estimated costs will be agreed on appointment and confirmed early in the Fellowship. We understand that different arts mediums have different costs and we will adjust expectations accordingly. 

Project timeframe: Start date is negotiable but the fellowship must conclude by the end of July 2024. Project will last 3-6 months. 

Application deadline: December 6th, 2023. 

Interviews: Interviews will take place in the week commencing December 11^th, 2023. 

Artist specification 

Essential criteria:

• A well-established professional artistic practice
• Specialism in visual arts (including photography or film), performance arts (dance, music, theatre) or creative writing
• An international profile (festivals, residencies and other awards or invitations)
• Interest in peacebuilding, humanitarian concerns and/or development
• Commitment to equality and social justice
• Experience managing collaborative projects
• Experience delivering projects to budgets and specified timelines
• Ability to work autonomously but in consultation with others
• Advanced listening skills and ability to work with teams
• Experience working across cultures
• Knowledge of the culture and history of Rwanda and/or the DRC
• Flexibility and patience in the face of practical difficulties
• Ability to speak at least two of the following languages: Kinyarwanda, Swahili, English and/or French 

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of arts collaborations with NGOs, government agencies or researchers
• Social media profile with large following
• Connections to arts and/or social justice networks in the Great Lakes region
• Citizen of Rwanda, the DRC or the wider East African community 

To apply 

You will need to provide:

• A 2-3 page proposal detailing:
  • how your creative practice might engage with the Access to Justice project
  • the particular value your approach might bring to the programme
  • your proposed potential outputs
  • proposed mechanisms for dissemination
  • a draft timeline for the work and budget
• Your CV with full details of your previous work
• Relevant samples of your work (sent by a file transfer service if large in size)           

Please e-mail these materials to Rwanda@international-alert.org by December 06^th  2023.