Digital Lab Africa (DLA), an incubation programme for African digital content creatives, has introduced its next call for applications.
The fifth edition of the DLA is calling on artists, producers, designers, collectives, students or entrepreneurs from digital creative and cultural industries, including from across Sub-Saharan Africa, to apply.
Led and managed by Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, and supported by the Agence Française de Développement, the DLA aims to incubate emerging talent by offering them a springboard to jump-start and accelerate their projects with the support and expertise of the DLA ecosystem.
The Pan-African accelerator focuses on five key categories: immersive experience, video games, music, animation and digital art.
Applications for the animation and immersive experience categories are now open and close on 4 April, while applications for the video, digital art and music categories can be submitted between 17 May and 11 July.
Tshimologong Precinct CEO Lesley Donna Williams says the DLA applications reflect the vitality and uniqueness of the African continent in the field of digital cultures and new technologies.
“Each year the level of innovation in terms of form, storytelling, content and technologies gets better. We expect DLA#5 to once again exceed our expectations and we look forward to receiving quality applications,” notes Williams.
Founded in September 2016, as a Wits University investment in the tech and digital future of SA and the continent, Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct works with academia, corporates, international agencies and government across all spheres to unearth, upskill and promote digital talent. The precinct focuses its efforts in three areas: incubation of enterprises, digital skills training and creating a marketplace for start-ups.
The DLA programme partners include Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique, French pay-TV channel TRACE, French television network TV5 Monde, and the French Embassy in Nigeria.
The DLA received more than 500 applications from over 32 countries in 2020.
For its fifth edition, the programme is switching to a fully online format. The incubation and mentorship programmes will include online activities, online mentorship and participation in online industry events.
Selected applicants will be given a DLA Incubation Pass to fast-track the development of their projects.
Alongside mentorship and training sessions, the DLA winners will also be hosted in planned residencies in the relevant category ecosystems.
For more information on how to apply, visit the Digital Lab Africa Web site.
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