Our ICAF 2026 Open Call is coming very soon, next Wednesday 30 October in fact. So here is everything you need to know to prepare yourself for the announcement date.
Our Open Call for ICAF 2026 Festival, taking place from Wednesday 25 March to Sunday 29 March, 2026, will be launched in a mere matter of days: Wednesday 30 October, 2024. We therefore wanted to provide the essential information you need in order to help you prepare.
As you may know, for every edition of ICAF we have a dedicated theme of focus, and this edition is no different. Though we can’t quite reveal the theme just yet, (you’ll have to wait for the announcement!) we can share a selection of beautiful visuals created by Michael van Kekem in direct response to the theme.
Following this, we will answer some of our most frequently asked questions, so you can be as prepared as possible when our Open Call is announced.
When will the Open Call be launched?
Wednesday 30 October, 2024. We will be sharing our Open Call via newsletter, as well as on here, the ICAF Platform, and our Instagram and Facebook pages.
When will the deadline for the Open Call be?
The deadline for applications will be 23.59 in your respective time zone, on Wednesday 29 January 2025. This gives you just under 3 months to apply.
When will ICAF 2026 take place?
Our ICAF 2026 professionals programme will take place from Wednesday 25 March up to, and including Sunday 29 March, 2026.
Where will ICAF 2026 take place?
Our ICAF 2026 professionals programme will take place across multiple locations and venues in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Who can apply to the open call?
We invite individuals, collectives, groups, organisation, institutions, from across the world who are working with community arts in their work and practice to apply. There is no limit to the number of people per collective, group or organisation, and no geographical restrictions. Please note that the working languages of ICAF are Dutch, English, and Spanish, though we try out upmost to accommodate other languages.
How do I apply?
On Wednesday 30 October we will be launching our open call brief which will reveal the theme and focus of ICAF 2026 as well as a short inspiration text to get the creative juice flowing. Accompanying the open call brief will be a Google Form where we ask you to respond to all the questions stated in either text, video, or audio form.
If you have difficulty accessing Google Forms, please contact amy@icafrotterdam.com who can share the open call application through email instead.
The full Open Call brief will be announced and shared on Wednesday 30 October, 2024. We can’t wait for you to see it, and to receive your applications for ICAF 2026!
