Opportunity

Closes 9 Nov 2026, 23:55 Vienna time

Two months at a leading cultural institution in Vienna

FOCUS INTERNATIONAL South Africa 2027 places six South African artists and cultural workers, aged 40 or younger, in two-month internships at art institutions and art projects in Vienna between January and June 2027.

The programme is run by Austria’s Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport at the MuseumsQuartier Vienna, under a memorandum of understanding between Austria and South Africa. It is shared with the sector by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Deadline

Monday 9 November 2026, 23:55 Vienna time

That is 00:55 on Tuesday 10 November in South Africa, but do not leave it to the last hour.

Download the call (PDF)Download the application form (PDF)

What each person receives

  • A two-month internship at one of six institutions in Vienna.
  • A studio flat in the historic MuseumsQuartier building.
  • A scholarship of EUR 1,400 a month, EUR 2,800 for the two months.
  • Return flights to Vienna, booked and paid for, up to EUR 1,000.
  • Personal mentoring and support from the MuseumsQuartier team.

You arrange your own health and travel insurance for your stay in Austria.

Who can apply

You need all of these:

  • South African, and 40 years old or younger.
  • A completed university degree or completed specialised training.
  • At least three years of work experience in the field you are applying for.
  • A high level of English or German. Applications are written in English.

The six placements

Each institution takes one person. You may apply for one placement only, so choose the one that fits your work best.

Tricky Women/Tricky Realities

January to February 2027 · trickywomen.at

A Vienna festival of animated film by women and genderqueer artists, held every March.

Suits: Animation and film, and an interest in feminist, queer and social questions.

mica, music austria

January to February 2027 · musicaustria.at

Austrian Music Export: showcase festivals, trade fairs, trade missions and songwriting camps.

Suits: Music business, with first-hand experience of the music scene.

WIENWOCHE

March to April 2027 · wienwoche.org

A festival where art meets activism. Open call coordination, press, social media and the website.

Suits: Communications, PR and curatorial assistance. Fluent English.

MuseumsQuartier Wien

March to April 2027 · mqw.at

The Department of Art and Sustainability: events, exhibitions, the artist residency programme and publications. About 20 hours a week.

Suits: A degree in a culture-related field and a strong interest in contemporary art.

FOTO ARSENAL WIEN

May to June 2027 · fotoarsenalwien.at

An exhibition centre for photography and lens-based media: production, openings, artist care, communications and curatorial research.

Suits: Contemporary photography, curatorial or cultural studies, or equal practical experience.

Independent Space Index

May to June 2027 · independentspaceindex.at

The network and yearly festival of Vienna's independent art spaces: public and participant communications and social media. You write a field report for their archive.

Suits: Independent and artist-run spaces, and good English.

How to apply

  1. Download the call and the application form, and read the call to the end. Each placement lists what it asks of you.
  2. Choose one placement and tick it on the first page of the form.
  3. Fill in the form: your details as they appear in your passport, your passport number and your bank details, a letter of intent of up to 5,000 characters (why you are applying, what you expect from the programme and what you want to focus on), and a CV of no more than one page. A recommendation letter from a senior person in your field is optional.
  4. Sign the form on its last page.
  5. Save everything as one PDF of no more than 10 MB and email it to focus-southafrica@bmwkms.gv.at before the deadline. The ministry accepts applications by email only.

After the deadline

An independent jury recommends who is chosen, and the ministry expects to select the six by 30 November 2026. The placements run from January to June 2027. Everyone who takes part writes a report for the ministry afterwards.

Questions

Questions about the programme go to the ministry at focus-southafrica@bmwkms.gv.at. The call is also published at focusinternational.at/south_africa.

VACSA shares opportunities like this so that they reach practitioners across all nine provinces, not only those already inside formal networks. VACSA is not the selecting body and does not process applications.