About the program

Upskilling and empowering emerging visual arts practitioners through mentorship and career guidance.

The VAC Mentorship & Guidance Program, newly launched by the Visual Arts Commission, connects individuals in the creative field through the transformational power of career mentorship.

Professional artists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are experiencing the far-reaching changes and rapid growth of the arts ecosystem. These transformations are creating new opportunities for emerging artists, art curators, writers, and critics to envision their artistic practice as the foundation for a professional career.

Established artists will be expertly matched with mentees through the mentorship program, and together they will explore ways of growing the mentee’s career and developing their business model. The program will serve as a space to foster community, by forging connections through a series of empowering one-on-one and group sessions.

The Visual Arts Commission is committed to developing and strengthening both national and international artistic collaboration and connection over the long term.

Open Call

Do you aspire to be a full time artist, curator, art writer, or art critic? Now you can achieve your ambition by joining the VAC Mentorship and Guidance Program!

The Visual Arts Commission is delighted to announce Cycle 3 of the second phase of the VAC Mentorship & Guidance Program. Cycle 3 is scheduled to run from mid-February to mid-April. Applications are accepted until 3rd of February 2024.

The program is targeted:

for emerging Saudi and resident artists, curators, writers and art critics.

PROGRAM’S DISCIPLINES

  • - Painting
  • - Photography
  • - Sculpture
  • - Contemporary Calligraphy
  • - Digital and Video Art
  • - Multimedia
  • - Art Installation
  • - Art Curation
  • - Art Writing
  • - Art Criticism

Cycle 3 is the last cycle of the VAC Mentorship & Guidance Program during its second year. The information about previous cycles can be found on the VAC official Instagram page.

Please download Portfolio Guidelines before submitting your application.

Click here to download

Application deadlines for program cycles

1-10 August 2023

Registration Closed

1st of November - 16th of November 2023

Registration Closed

21 January - 3 February 2024

Registration Closed

Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

  • To be eligible for the program, you must meet the following criteria:
  • - To be committed to developing your practical, professional and art business skills.
  • - To be pursuing a career in one of the program disciplines.
  • - To be working in one or more of the following disciplines: painting, photography, sculpture, contemporary calligraphy, installation, digital and video art, multimedia art, art curation, writing and criticism… etc.
  • - Not yet represented by a commercial agent or gallery (applies to artists only).
  • - To have a strong portfolio demonstrating sustained practice in one of the program disciplines.
  • - To be based within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • - To be over the age of 21.

Program Details

  • After being accepted onto the program, mentees will be matched with established artists and industry professionals who share their interests. There will be one master mentor per mentee, and several specialist mentors for each small cohort of fellow mentees.
  • Each cycle of the program extends to 8 weeks and includes weekly meetings, a goal-setting plan, career guidance and development, useful resources, tasks to accomplish, as well as introducing networking and exploring new opportunities. All cycles are held online, and each cycle of the program includes a kick-off session and a graduation day.
  • A maximum of 15 participants from the mixed group of artists, curators, art writers and art critics are accepted per cycle.
  • Only those mentees who attend all mentoring sessions within their program cycle will receive a certificate of completion.

Application Requirements

  • Applications will only be accepted by submission of the official VAC Mentorship & Guidance Application Form.
  • For the application, you will be required to submit:
  • Your personal details.
  • Your professional artistic experience.
  • A clear indication of your motivation for applying to the program, and what your expectations are.
  • Your CV and portfolio. * Completed applications must be provided by candidates during the submission windows: For Cycle 1: 1–10 August 2023, For Cycle 2: 1–16 November 2023, For Cycle 3: 21 January – 3 February 2024. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a video interview.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    What are the benefits of applying to this program?

  • We believe in the power of mentorship to create fresh opportunities for emerging artists to develop their artistic practice into a professional career.

    • Who is this program for?

  • The VAC Mentorship & Guidance Program is for artists, art curators, art writers and critics practitioners who need support with getting their careers moving past the first stage.

    • What areas in the arts do program mentors specialise in?

  • Master mentors are all professional artists, curators, and writers. Specialist mentors work in the commercial sector, galleries, marketing, public art, art consultancy and more.

    • Who can apply?

  • If you are 21 years of age or older, have several years of artistic experience in the visual arts (painting, photography, sculpture, contemporary calligraphy, installation, digital and video art and multimedia art… etc.), or have experience in the fields of art curation, art writing and criticism and seek to seriously pursue your career in one of these disciplines, you are welcome to apply for the program. Please refer to the guidelines section for further information.

    • How can I apply?

  • You must fill out and submit an application form by the application deadline.

    • Do mentors and mentees meet in person or online?

  • Currently, mentors and mentees meet online via the program’s dedicated video chat channels. Conversations between master mentor and mentee will be one-on-one, while interactions with specialist mentors bring the small cohort of mentees in each cycle together as a group.

    • Can I apply if I don’t speak English?

  • Yes, you can. Please specify this in your application, as many of our mentors are Arabic-speaking.

    • Can I choose the mentor I want to work with?

  • Your mentor will be chosen for you by program coordinators based on your professional interests and abilities.

    • What happens after my program cycle has finished?

  • After completing your cycle of mentorship, you will officially become part of the alumni network, recognised and profiled by the Visual Arts Commission. You will continue to benefit from connecting with fellow alumni and being involved in the community.

    • I have a question that I cannot find an answer for. How do I contact the VAC Mentorship & Guidance team?

  • Please contact the team directly through:
  • vac.program@moc.gov.sa

Terms and Conditions

  • 1. Program Acceptance
  • Agreement with the terms and conditions listed below are an integral part of the VAC Mentorship & Guidance Program, and registering and participating in it means full acceptance of these terms, which are as follows:
  • 1.1 Applicants must be 21 years of age or older at the time of application.
  • 1.2 By applying to the VAC Mentorship & Guidance Program, every applicant is agreeing to all Program Terms and Conditions listed and available.
  • 1.3 The decision of the selection panel members will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. VAC reserves the right to delay announcements for any reason. There is no guarantee of advancement or acceptance into the program.
  • 1.4 Program participation is free of charge for all mentees.
  • 1.5 Any accepted applicant may be required to sign a Participant Agreement validating their application to the program.
  • 2. Program Promotion
  • 2.1 Any accepted applicants may have their name and picture used for any VAC promotions or promotions of its sponsors or affiliates.
  • 2.2 Except where prohibited by law, participation in the program constitutes each applicant’s consent to the VAC and its agents’ use of applicants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of applicants’ information are in accordance with MOC Privacy Policy.
  • 3. Program Completion
  • 3.1 Participant Mentees who fail to attend and participate in every component of the entire programme will not be considered as having completed the programme unless otherwise agreed due to special circumstances.
  • 3.2 This means that each Participant must attend and participate in all sessions, complete and submit all tasks allocated to them during the programme, and submit all reports and required feedback.
  • 3.2.1 All sessions mean:
  • ● each of the 4 sessions with their allocated master mentor
  • ● each of the 4 sessions with the Specialist Mentors
  • ● the cycle launch session and the graduation session
  • ● Any additional sessions required by master mentors and/or specialist mentor
  • 3.3 Only those Mentees who have fulfilled these requirements will be deemed to be eligible to graduate, being accepted for further program cycles, and hence to receive the benefits therefrom. These benefits include, but are not limited to:
  • ● being entitled to name themselves as a Graduate of the VAC Mentorship and Guidance Programme
  • ● receiving the Certificate of the Program Completion signed by the VAC Representative
  • Legal Responsibility
  • ● The Ministry is not responsible for any material losses or damages caused by participating in this competition.
  • ● The Ministry of Culture is not responsible for all legal procedures for violating any laws that the candidate may have violated before the official authorities.
  • ● The participant agrees and acknowledges that the Ministry of Culture will not bear any financial costs on his behalf for participation in the program, and that the participant will bear solely any costs related to his participation and any subsidiary matters arising from it.