Art Dubai, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Delfina Foundation and Tashkeel have launched the fourth year of Artists-in-Residence (A.i.R) Dubai, with an Open Call inviting Emirati and locally-based artists to apply for a place on the three-month residency.

In an expansion of the programme for 2014-15, Dubai Culture—the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts and heritage—is supporting a new Assistant Curator position, offering the opportunity for an upcoming Emirati curator to work alongside the established, international curator who will manage this dynamic initiative.

The six selected artists–four from the local community, including both UAE Nationals and residents, and two from the international community–will spend three months in-residence in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, January-March 2015, working with the Projects Curator and Assistant Curator. Their residencies will culminate in the creation of site-specific works, as part of Art Dubai Projects, a not-for-profit series of new commissions exhibited at the annual fair (March 18-21, 2015). While the Open Call is for UAE Nationals and resident artists, the international artists-in-residence will be by nomination.

The residency partners—Art Dubai, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Delfina Foundation and Tashkeel—are in the process of appointing an experienced Projects Curator, following a nomination process. The Projects Curator will manage the Art Dubai Projects at the fair as well as develop the A.i.R outreach programme with the support of the Assistant Curator. Expanding the programme to include an Assistant Curator follows a recognition of the need to nurture curatorial practice in the UAE.

A.i.R Dubai 2015 features an expanded education and outreach programme, with talks and workshops taking place throughout the three-month residency, engaging local schools, universities and the arts community at large. The residency house will then develop into an Open Studios during Art Week 2015, which includes Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai and SIKKA, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority’s artist-led contemporary art fair.

Applications are open until August 21, 2014. For more information about the programme and to download the application form, please visit http://www.tashkeel.org, or send your enquires to submission@tashkeel.org.