DEADLINE: The Arab Documentary Photography Program

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and the Prince Claus Fund in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in partnership with the Magnum Foundation in New York City, USA, launched the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP) in 2014, a program that is jointly funded by AFAC and Prince Claus Fund, and supports creative documentary photographers in the Arab region.

Recognizing the image's power to document, educate, and advocate, the Arab Documentary Photography Program’s incentive has always been to foster creative photography practices in the Arab world and to encourage the transmission of critical, socially engaged, and local stories.

Looking back at the past cycles of the program, we are convinced that it remains essential for nurturing free expression, amplifying unheard narratives, and raising the level of creative documentary photography in the Arab region and beyond.

However, we recognize that one-time support can only go so far; which is why, on the occasion of the program’s tenth cycle anniversary, we launched the Arab Documentary Photography Program Alumni Fellowship. As the ADPP continues to support emerging photographers from the Arab region, the ADPP Alumni Fellowship is committed to accelerating the careers of the program alumni by providing them with the support and resources they need while facilitating further regional and international exchanges between established and emergent photographers.

ADPP for Emerging Photographers
Documentary photography sheds light on important neglected and unknown narratives. The Arab Documentary Photography Program has been dedicated to supporting unconventional, compelling, non-stereotypical visual documentation of social issues and narratives relevant to the Arab region. The program has proved itself to be a major springboard to emerging Arab photographers, granting access to the needed resources and adequate professional support to initiate and complete compelling documentary photography projects.

Even so, structural issues remain, and documentary photography practices tend to stand overlooked. With every new cycle of the Arab Documentary Photography Program, we commit to continuing the urgent work of providing support to documentary photographers in the region. If you are a documentary photographer who works with creative photography practices in the Arab world and transmits critical and socially engaged local stories, we encourage you to apply tothe Arab Documentary Photography Program.

The ADPP explores ways by which documentary photography can reach out to wider audiences and engage with them in an impactful way. Photographers may propose to work in a range of non-fiction narrative styles, from classic documentary photography to more experimental visual storytelling, and may propose to include audio and video elements.

The program provides up to 8 photographers with a $7.000 grant to work on their projects in their country of residence over a period of 10 months. The grant may be used to begin a new project or to complete work on an existing project.

In addition, ADPP grantees will benefit from mentorship provided by distinguished program mentors and will be required to attend three specialized workshops (two in-person and one virtual) to help them develop and produce their projects and consider avenues for distribution. Photographers can apply to the ADPP in either English or Arabic. To facilitate exchanges, access to translations will be provided throughout the program.

Eligibility
This grant is open to applicants from, living and working in the Arab region, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, or religion.

Emerging photographers with limited portfolios are eligible to apply.

Photographers who have not specialized in documentary photography will be considered as long as the proposed work is documentary in nature.

Deadline: June 13, 2025, 5:00 PM (Beirut time - GMT+2). Call opens Apr 15.

Details and application.