Tender Visions 2025

Eight Africa-based photographers and sixteen writers will be selected for a paid commissioned work developed within their communities.

Overview

Tender Photos is pleased to announce a call for applications to Tender Visions, a new cross-disciplinary commissioning program for photographers and writers based on the African continent, supported by funding from the Open Society Foundation. Eight photographers will be selected through this open call and commissioned to produce new work within their communities, guided by predefined themes. Sixteen writers will also be selected from this call to write original creative or critical responses to the photographic projects. 

This program will provide photographers with the opportunity to develop new, theme-based projects rooted in their local communities, while fostering collaborative engagements with writers who will produce creative and critical texts that contextualize the visual work. Their aim is to create space for deepened engagement with visual storytelling in Africa, and to bring new narratives to local and international audiences in insightful and thought-provoking ways.

Practical Info

Photographers and writers based anywhere on the African continent are invited to apply for a unique opportunity to collaborate on a new creative project. Eligible photographers must reside on the African continent, as the work produced will be location-specific. Successful applicants will receive funding to create a new body of work and are expected to deliver a portfolio of 40 to 50 images, from which 20 to 30 will be selected. Each photographer will be paid a total of £1,000 or the equivalent in local currency, with travel expenses included in this fee. 

Writers are also invited to apply, with preference given to those residing in Africa due to historically limited opportunities, though applications from the African diaspora are welcome. Selected writers will be paired with a photographer and tasked with producing either a critical or creative response of 3,000 to 4,000 words inspired by the photographer’s series. Writers will receive a fee of £750 or its local currency equivalent. While travel expenses for writers are not included in the base fee, successful applicants may apply for a travel stipend to cover necessary costs, assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

All submissions must be made in English.

About Tender Photos

Tender Photos is a digital platform for African photography and visual storytelling, co-founded by Emmanuel Idulma and Ayòbámi Adébáyò. Their aim is to contribute to nuanced and layered perceptions of the continent by publishing narratives about the people, places, and events pictured in photographs, while promoting the work of visual storytellers and photographers.