Deadline: 01-Sep-2025
Basita.Live is inviting experienced and passionate artists, cultural practitioners, and experts from the MENA region to become mentors for the upcoming edition of the Basita Fellowship. The fellowship is a nine-month programme designed to empower 20 performing arts groups from disciplines such as music, theatre, dance, and spoken word with the skills they need to advance their careers, achieve financial independence, and thrive in the digital age.
The programme culminates in the BAB ElBAHR Hybrid Festival, where the selected groups will each produce and perform a piece. These performances will be showcased both live in theatres and streamed online via Basita.live, reaching diverse audiences across countries.
Mentors with expertise in strategic planning, artistic production, marketing, fundraising, digital platforms, social impact, and cultural management are encouraged to apply. Specific mentorship topics include institutional resilience, programmatic and digital marketing, virtual platforms, artistic performance, stage management, and the evolving roles of artists as managers and social entrepreneurs.
Mentors will be involved in selecting fellows and are expected to commit 12 hours per month for virtual or face-to-face mentoring sessions. They must also attend at least one group meeting monthly. The duration and structure of each mentor’s involvement will depend on their area of expertise and the specific needs of each fellow. Mentors will be compensated based on the number of mentorship hours.
The fellowship will run from January 2026 to September 2026. It includes a virtual kick-off seminar covering digital tools, marketing, strategic planning, and fundraising. Fellows will engage in one-on-one mentoring, monthly group Case Clinics to solve challenges, and regular check-ins to monitor progress. The programme concludes with a face-to-face closing seminar in Egypt, where fellows will present their outcomes and strategic plans.
Each fellow will also produce one performance in collaboration with a local host institution. These productions will be part of the hybrid festival, accessible both live and virtually. Eligible mentors must be experts in the relevant fields and based in the Middle East.
For more information, visit Basita.Live.
