Southern Guild has launched an artist residency in Cape Town’s CBD that offers artists from the African continent the opportunity develop their practice. Pretoria-based artist Navel Seakamela recently completed a six-week stay at the GUILD Residency where he completed a body of work to be featured in his solo debut exhibition with the gallery, titled Who We Should Not Be.

The Space
The GUILD Residency is a 350 sqm immersive living and working space located on Loop Street in Cape Town’s CBD. The open-plan space offers an expansive studio and adjoining living area, with three separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an interleading kitchen. Accessed via elevator from the street, the residency apartment occupies the third floor of a four-storey building. The space is comfortably appointed with an eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary furniture as well as artworks by celebrated South African artists and designers. Ideally located in the hub of the city, the space is walking distance from vibrant Kloof street and just a short drive away from the V&A Waterfront, the district of Woodstock and Cape Town’s many beaches.

Residency Programme
The residency offers the artist the freedom, material resources, and critical encouragement to explore their practice. The objective is for the experience to result in a focused body of work that will be shown at the gallery or at a local or international art fair. The work-living space allows the resident pause from the oft-habitual nature of their studio and the opportunity to deepen their creative process through immersion in a new environment. Rather than a structured programme, the residency experience is adaptable to the artist’s specific needs. The space is obviously ideal for artists who can work indoors and without the need for heavy-duty machinery, but Southern Guild can facilitate any assistance from closely connected specialised manufacturers and artisans. Southern Guild’s gallery team remain in close contact offering review, dialogue and stimulation to support the artist in actualising their creative ambitions.

Duration and Funding

The length of each residency is project dependent, but ranges from 3 weeks to 2 months. In addition to the physical space, Southern Guild will provide local flights, agreed-upon production materials as well as any required logistical and technical assistance.

Application Process

The GUILD Residency is offered to both emerging and established artists across all disciplines. The primary focus remains artists on the African continent, but we welcome international applicants who want to collaborate with local artisans and designers. In addition, the invitation is extended to Cape Town-based artists seeking a different space in which to work.

Interested applicants are invited to email [email protected]

All applications must include:

• An artist CV
• Photographs of selected works
• A written overview detailing the nature of their practice
• A brief proposal stipulating what the artist intends to work on during the residency