Open Call MOMO Festival x Amarte 2027
The MOMO x Amarte 2027 Open call is now closed for entries
For who?
Theme of 2027: –yet soft
What to expect?
The process
How to apply?
Each year MOMO Festival invites emerging artists to present their projects as part of the festival. For the upcoming edition, taking place from 15–17 April 2027, we’re happy to continue our collaboration with the Amarte Foundation.
For who?
You can apply if you are an emerging artist based in the Netherlands. We welcome applications across all disciplines and media whose practice speaks the above-mentioned topics—including music, visual art, poetry, spoken word, film, photography and everything in between. Applications can be individual or collective. Whether you’re reimagining an existing work, developing a work-in-progress or starting something entirely new, we invite you to apply.
Theme of 2027: –yet soft
“i will not let my heart
shrink to the size of my oppressor’s
i will stay soft”
— adrianne maree brown
This is a call to reclaim softness as a revolutionary practice and a site of subversion. In a world that demands continuous extraction and rigid endurance, hard skin is sold to us as strength, an illusion of total invulnerability. We are conditioned to survive by becoming less affected: less moved, less open, less connected. This year, we invite projects that embody and explore softness.
Softness is not sentimentality or easy happiness. It is a practice of revolutionary love, fierce refusal, and active solidarity against a culture that demands cynicism and self-reliance. Not a comfortable distraction, but the capacity to feel deeply, build collective power, and unlearn the habits of isolation enforced by hyper-individualism. When we treat vulnerability as a shared strength rather than a liability, we expand what we can accomplish.
We invite you to stay soft. Like moss growing together over hard concrete, we refuse the mandate to harden. Our quiet, unyielding tenderness flourishes when we hold onto each other. Softness is not an isolated state; it is a shared climate we cultivate together, rooted in mutual care, deep earnestness, and radical connection.
There is rebellion in the way we take care of ourselves and of each other. There is resistance in our softness. There is power in choosing to stay open, together. There is world-making in our tenderness.
What to expect?
If your project is selected, it will be part of the MOMO Festival 2027 program, taking place from 15-17 April in Rotterdam. Please keep in mind that MOMO Festival works and collaborates with unconventional and alternative venues. As a result, more conventional exhibition or performance settings (such as traditional black-box spaces) may not always be available or within reach. We therefore ask participating projects to remain flexible and open to adapting their work to the spaces and contexts available.
You’ll receive:
– An artist fee of €2.747 per project
– There is a technical production budget of up to €500 available.
Throughout the process, you’ll receive guidance and support tailored to your needs. This includes:
– Practical and creative guidance from the MOMO team
– One-on-one check-ins
– Inspiration sessions
– A workshop by industry professionals focused on writing project proposals for open calls, residencies, and grants
– A Open Call coordinator as your main point of contact
– Your work will be shared through the communication channels of both Motel Mozaïque and Amarte.
The process
Inspiration meetups
Want to meet fellow artists, learn more about the festival or explore this year’s theme together? You’re warmly invited to join one of our inspiration sessions (one online, one in person). You can register via the link below.
In person meeting (18 September 2026, 15:00)
Online meeting (19 September 2026, 12:00)
Application process
We’re working with a two-step application process to make it more accessible for everyone:
Step 1: Initial Selection, Guidance & Budget
We invite you to introduce your concept in this initial phase of the application process. Following the first round, 15 applicants will be selected by a joint committee. If selected, you’ll receive a development trajectory co-organized by Amarte and Motel Mozaïque. This includes personal and group guidance, €290 for developing your project proposal, and support on broader topics such as securing funding and navigating your artistic practice. This phase is designed to support your growth as an artist—regardless of the final Open Call outcome—by expanding your network and deepening your understanding of the cultural sector. You can find the detailed explanation for the first round of applications below.
Step 2: Final Selection, Further Guidance & Production Support
In the second round, your developed concept will be considered for final selection. From this group, 5 participants will be chosen to be part of the official MOMO Festival 2027 program (15–17 April). These final participants will receive additional guidance, a production budget and further support to realize their work for the festival.
The selection process
The applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a selection committee from MOMO and the Amarte Foundation. The evaluation and selection will be based on artistic quality, relevance to the theme, feasibility, originality and the creative profile of applicants. A total of 5 projects will be part of the final selection. Four of these will be selected by the selection committee and one will be selected via public vote.
Timeline
18 September 2026: Inspiration meeting (in person)
19 September 2026: Inspiration meeting (online)
1 October 2026 (23:59): Deadline for first round applications
Late October 2026: Announcement of the outcome of the first round (selection 15 projects)
November 2026: Workshop for the 15 shortlisted projects
15 December 2026: Second submission of proposals deadline
12-24 January 2026: Public vote by MOMO community
29 January 2027: Final selection announcement
Beginning February 2027: Meeting with selected artists
Mid February to festival: Production
15-17 April 2027: MOMO Festival
How to apply?
The MOMO x Amarte 2027 Open call is now closed for entries
In the first round we ask for a simple concept submission via the application form. This can be in any medium you prefer, as long as it relates meaningfully to the theme -yet soft.
You can choose the format that suits you best:
– Written (max. 500 words)
– Visual/graphic document (max. 2 PDF pages)
– Video (max. 3 minutes)
Whichever format you choose, make sure to include the following:
– A clear description of your concept and overall vision, and how it relates to the theme
– The disciplines and mediums involved in your project
– Your intended audience and how you plan to engage them
Questions? Get in touch with us!
Do you have questions about the process or the theme, or need some more inspiration? Open Call coordinator Defne is happy to support, feel free to reach out via opencall@motelmozaique.nl.
We can’t wait to hear what you’re growing, where you’re rooting.