Antarctic Artists and Writers Programme (AWP) Pilot
The Antarctic Artists and Writers Programme (AWP) pilot is a research initiative supported by the South African National Research Foundation under the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP). It enhances public engagement with Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic islands and the Southern Ocean through artistic and critical practice, providing a formal structure for artists and writers to access the region aboard the SA Agulhas II and to produce creative work that engages a wider audience than scientific research alone. The outputs are shared through exhibitions, events, digital platforms and publications, contributing to a broader cultural awareness of the Antarctic within South Africa and beyond.
Funded by the South African National Research Foundation and hosted at the University of Pretoria, 2024-2026.
Principal investigator: Charne Lavery
Co-investigator: Jean Brundrit
Postdoctoral fellow and exhibition curator: Sikho Siyotula-Siegemund
Collaborators: Mehita Iqani and Adrienne van Eeden-Wharton
Residencies
Short-term residencies for artists and writers aboard the South African polar research vessel, SA Agulhas II, offering wherever possible firsthand experience of the Southern Ocean and Antarctic region – including proximity to the South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) IV base and the sub-Antarctic islands during annual takeover voyages. Access is subject to stringent permit applications, space constraints for logistics and research on the vessel, weather, and a variety of other factors. In response to constraints, land-based residencies exploring connections between polar scientific research and creative practice were added to the programme. A nationally-circulated open call received over fifty applications, which are being kept on file for future opportunities.
Exhibition
Curated by Sikho Siyotula-Siegemund, the upcoming exhibition, Antarctic Drift – Southern Africa’s Heritage of Ice, explores the profound environmental, cultural, and imaginative connections between Southern Africa and Antarctica. Through a range of media – including photography, installation, drawing, performance, and sound – the exhibition foregrounds the theme of “drift,” using archival research, storytelling and visual exploration to trace entanglements between these distant yet interlinked regions.