MaMA (Media and Moving Art) based in Rotterdam and bridges the gap between the youngest generation of makers and the cultural field. MaMA prepares a new generation of makers by offering support which cater to individual goals and desires, rather than enforcing a set format. Talent development and professionalisation go hand-in-hand, characterized by experimentation. MaMA contributes to young makers’ careers by offering professional opportunities and setting up their own programs aimed to prepare them to flourish within the cultural field.

For 2024, MaMA is looking for three programme makers, to work with them within MaMa’s artistic frameworks – speculative fiction and immersive scenography – to develop exhibitions with an accompanying public program.

To enable alternate worlds, it is important to envision them. We explicitly aim for experiential space-filling exhibitions. Projects at MaMA emerge from the lived experience of the program maker, questioning their position in relation to the world. By choosing experiential exhibitions, we want to utilise the visibility and transparency of the showroom in the middle of the lively shopping street. We see the showroom as a time or space capsule and invite aspiring programme makers to create their own world here, with its own ecosystem of pressing urgencies, conditions and supporters.

Each exhibition lasts 8.5 weeks. Parallel to the development of the individual exhibition programme and learning trajectory, MaMA organises a collective learning trajectory for the programme makers, sharing research, experiences and outcomes. The year concludes with a collective program: the closing event. In this, observations, lessons and questions from the individual exhibitions are connected, the desired presentation form is developed and produced together by the programme makers. 

MaMA follows the artist’s fees guideline and for this work and learning trajectory you will receive an honorarium of € 9,270 (excl. VAT).  For the realisation of the exhibition you will work with a predetermined exhibition production budget and MaMA assists the programme maker in the search for additional funds.

The candidate programme maker

…feels a connection with Team MaMA and its activities 

…desires to develop their own exhibition project

… feels the urge to develop themselves as a cultural maker and can formulate their own learning wishes

…is hands-on and wants to go through all facets of exhibition-making with MaMA’s staff

…takes co-responsibility with MaMA in the area of additional fundraising

…is a newcomer or has some experience working with artists, designers and other creative makers

…thinks and acts from a social urgency, and the power of informal communities

…is enthusiastic about Team MaMA’s involvement and willing to work with them

…communicates ideas/expectations fluently and find time for intensive periodic meetings, both collectively and one-to-one

…has an interest in informal, collaborative learning, is eager to contribute to the development of others and is motivated to contribute to a positive dynamic together with the other programme makers!

…is available to attend the year-long working and learning trajectory. 

…lives in Rotterdam or in the vicinity of Rotterdam. If you live outside this area this would not be a problem, but we can only offer a modest travel budget.

…the programme maker’s trajectory is an intensive programme with collective and individual work sessions. This peaks about 4 months before the planned exhibition opening date, but even after that, the trajectory continues for exhibition run-down, evaluation, collective sessions and the development of the closing event. There will be approximately 6 collective working sessions throughout the learning process next to the development and individual working sessions of the exhibition concept.

For the first round of selection, we kindly request not to provide excessive information. You don’t have to reveal everything just yet, but make us curious with a short description of who you are, your motivation to participate in MaMA’s working and learning trajectory, and the particular subject(s) you would like to address and share your perspective on.

We would love to receive:

1. resume and/or portfolio if applicable
2. formulate in the context of this open call a clear and short personal learning or development wishes (approx. 150 words)
3. a brief description of the concept or central question (300-350 words):

… it concerns an exhibition as a space-filling installation 

… it relates to speculative fiction and/or one of its subgenres 

… it responds to a social urgency and is meaningful to twenty-somethings today

The deadline for the first selection round is 16 July 2023 and your submission (preferably in pdf, size max 3MB) can be send to info@thisismama.nl

By 21 July, you will know whether you are invited to the second selection round and you will be informed about the next steps. 

To give you already a heads up; in this round we would like to receive your project proposal which dives deeper into the concept and central question.

If you have any questions about the open call, please feel free to contact felicitas@thisismama.nl. 

You can also visit our website www.thisismama.nl to have a look at  our previous exhibitions and publications.