Opportunities

Festival Submissions

RAKFAF accepts submissions in four categories: Fine Art & Photography, Sculpture, Film, and Student. Prospective artists should make sure to read the eligibility and submissions guidelines for their respective categories before submitting. Artwork and films that fail to comply with the guidelines will not be considered. Applications open after the end of the previous year's Festival alongside the announcement of the annual Festival theme.

Submissions for the 2023 Festival open April 2022.

Workshop Proposals

Each year, RAKFAF recruits artists and teachers to provide public workshops and talks through the first month of the Festival. Workshops and talks come from any and all artistic fields including but not limited to ceramics and pottery, culinary arts, painting, performance, photography, poetry and writing, printmaking, sculpting, and woodworking. If you are interested in hosting a workshop or talk for the coming Festival, please complete the application form linked below. Successful applicants will receive a small teaching fee for their services and the cost of workshop materials will be covered by the Festival.

Applications for the 2023 Festival will open April 2022.

School Program

Designed to foster creativity and a deeper connection to the arts amongst Ras Al Khaimah's school children and to introduce schools to the societal value of art, the RAKFAF School Program seeks artists and teachers with a passion for engaging with young people to run workshops during the Festival months. Workshops will be held during school hours in schools across the Emirate.

Applications for the 2023 Festival will open April 2022.

U.S. Mission to the UAE Artist Grant

With the support of the U.S. Mission to the UAE, RAKFAF is seeking to commission American Artists based in the UAE to produce a series of artworks that align with the 2022 theme, The Journey. The commissioned artwork can be from any medium and the artist can either submit artwork that they have previously created or propose an entirely new piece for the Festival. The selected artist will also be requested to conduct at least three educational events as part of the Festival programming.

Applications open July 1 - 31, 2021.

RAKFAF Curatorial Development Program

The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival invites young and prospective curators in the United Arab Emirates to submit their interest to the RAKFAF Curatorial Development Program. Designed to support the growth and upskilling of young talent, the curatorial development program will provide training and mentorship from world-renowned curators, a space at the 10th annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival for a final exhibition, and a small grant to support said exhibition. The selected participant will work with established curators to select a body of work that reflects the Festival's theme The Journey through weekly 1-1 sessions and individual self-paced work. Please note that this program is for curation and not for the creation of new artwork by the participant.

This program is presented in collaboration with The NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery.

Applications open September 15 - 30, 2021.

Entertainment

During the Festival nights, RAKFAF hosts a series of live performances from UAE-based artists, including music, dance, spoken-word, theater, and more. Performers take over make-shift stages throughout Al Jazirah Al Hamra Heritage Village on Thursday and Friday nights from sun-set to 10 pm. If you’re interested in performing at RAKFAF, please complete the application form linked below and include a short (5-minute or less) audition tape. Please note that, due the volume of applications we receive, only performers we wish to audition further will be contacted.

Applications open December 1 – January 15.