As part of our Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning efforts, we conduct annual impact reports on our Seed and Fellows Awards to better understand their impact on each cycle of Awardees and identify areas for improvement. Below you can find out all about our reporting on Cycle 1 of the Fellows Award Moving Narratives.
Moving Narratives re-examines legacies of the past, defies euro-centric social and historical discourses, centres the perspectives of marginalised communities, and forges connections between contemporary emancipatory movements and their historical roots. The programme is a collective moment for artists and cultural practitioners to experiment, exchange, and develop artistic strategies that address dominant narratives and the inequalities they perpetuate.
The Cycle 1 impact report showed that one of the most valuable aspects of the programme was building personal and professional connections with like-minded artists from diverse backgrounds, leading to collaborations and lasting friendships. The intensive, mentor-led learning environment and peer exchange supported artistic and methodological growth. Financial support enabled deeper practice, while Lab Weeks in the Netherlands and the Philippines encouraged collaboration.
Read the Moving Narratives impact report
For Fellows, Moving Narratives was a time of intense growth—especially in planning research and writing about their practice. While mentor feedback was key, peer-to-peer learning within the cohort was also highly influential. Mark Teh captured this peer exchange:
“I learned very much about the context, histories, realities, poetics and imagination of these fellows and where they are working, and what they are working with or against.”
Fellows saw mentors' expertise as a key driver of artistic growth. Through shared resources and one-on-one feedback, mentors influenced their thinking on multiple levels. Concepts like Samia Henni’s “alibi,” Haig Aivazian’s “paranoid and reparative reading,” and Rohit Goel’s “art of subtraction” broadened Fellows’ perspectives.
