PACE 2025 will take place within the first two weeks of July 2025 - exact dates will be announced as soon as they become available.
PACE has 3 performance strands (see below for further details ):
Tour-Ready:
The work is up to a 60-minute extract by professional artists and companies (Tour-Ready means that as a company/artist, you have experience of touring and have a product that is artistically and technically ready to share with promoters and which will be prepared to tour).
Work in Progress:
The presentation is up to a 45-minute original piece at a critical stage in its development (Work in Progress means that you as a company/artist have a product in development that is thought through and artistically is ready to share. Although in the initial stages and may need further development, your work is something you are committed to taking on further).
Pitch sessions:
The pitch is where an artist is granted 10 minutes (or 7 minutes in the Speed Networking Pitch Series) to present Tour-Ready or Work-in-Progress projects for which it is not possible for the entire cast/production to travel to South Africa to showcase it live (and so a lead artist pitches the project with video/visual materials) OR artists can present ideas and concepts in the early days of development. (Pitching means sharing video/visual materials and information about Tour-Ready or Work-in-Progress projects that cannot be showcased live OR sharing original ideas that you as a company/artist wish to develop further, but at this stage, the idea is formed, and you can talk about the artistic idea/influences that will lead to final production)
If chosen to be part of PACE, you/your company will be given ONE slot to present your work in the strand that the Selection Committee feels would be best to present your work in. This might be a different strand than you have indicated in your application.
Key Eligibility Criteria:
- Artists whose work responds to contemporary Africa.
- Work must be either tour-ready, a work-in-progress, or a concept in the early stages of development.
- Work must be from artists or companies based on the African continent OR, for a limited number of places, part of the African diaspora.
- PACE recognizes the African diaspora, which includes people of African descent living outside of the African continent, such as in the Americas, Oceania, Asia, and Europe, and has been officially recognized by the African Union (AU) as its sixth African region.
If you would like to discuss your suitability for PACE, please contact us at info@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za
The Application Form:
All artists and companies wishing to participate in PACE must read the Application Guidelines and complete the application form.
The application form is to be signed by the company’s lead individual and submitted to PACE, together with:
- Details of 2 referees who have seen your work and are willing to write a short reference.
- A digital link to a video or photos of your work (Please keep in mind that for performance-based applications, we highly recommend submitting video material of the work so that the Selection Committee can better review your work).
IMPORTANT - PACE does not cover travel, accommodation, or visa costs. Selected artists are required to independently arrange and bear these expenses.
The DEADLINE for receipt of completed applications is 9 September 2024.
The outcome of decisions will be sent to all applicants by 31 January 2025.