CROSSCURRENTS

Cultural Mentorship Programme

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A four-month immersive learning programme for emerging arts organisers in Sri Lanka seeking peer-led learning opportunities, hands-on local and international mentorship, group work, as well as skill-building. This programme will conclude with a collaborative project by the participants, guided by the organizing team and mentors and open to the public.

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1. Who is this for? 

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• This programme is for applicants based in Sri Lanka 

• With minimum 2–4 years of work experience in the creative field and cultural sector 

• Highly motivated, collaborative, and inventive organisers, exhibition makers, and programmers 

• Independent practitioners as well as those employed in organisations 

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Application deadline: 11.59 pm on 10 September 2026

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2. General Information 

 

• The programme will require at least 10 hours of commitment per week from October–December 2026 and 20 hours of commitment in January and early February 2027 to execute the participants’ collective final project. 
   

• Participants must commit to the full duration of the programme for the online and in-person sessions and also be able to participate in the final project (October 2026–February 2027).
   

• The programme will be primarily in English. Spoken translation will be provided on request.  
   

• We discourage the use of AI tools for your application as we are interested in your authentic expressions. If you do use AI, please disclose clearly in your application which AI tools have been used, as well as your prompting history.
   

• Participants based out of Colombo will be provided a stipend for accommodation during in-person sessions

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3. Programme Mentors

 

Adeela Suleman (Vasl Artists’ Association)

Asanka Jayasinghe (University of Visual and Performing Arts)

Asvajit Boyle and Nigel Perera (FOLD Media Collective)

Cécile Hoorelbeke (Alliance Française de Colombo)

Heshma Wignaraja (Chitrasena Dance Company)
Jonathan Edward (Independent Architectural Designer)

Jan Ramesh de Saram (Colomboscope and Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka)

Lojithan Ram (Mount Studio)
Mark Rappolt, (ArtReview and Rubaiya Qatar)

Natasha Ginwala (Colomboscope)

Özge Ersoy (Asia Art Archive)
Prateek and Priyanka Raja (Experimenter)

Raki Nikahetiya (sā Ladakh)

Sophia Sansoni and Vindhya Attygalle (Barefoot Gallery)

Stefan Winkler (Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka)
Thilini Perera and Shanika Perera (Geoffrey Bawa Trust)

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4. Decision-making Process 

 

After shortlisting 10 candidates based on the application process, short interviews will be conducted to finalise the 6 participants, to enable active dialogue and collaboration. We wish to finalise the participants by the last week of September. 

 

Crosscurrents is organized by Colomboscope in collaboration with EUNIC Sri Lanka: British Council Sri Lanka, Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka, Alliance Française de Colombo, Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Swiss Embassy, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Embassy of Italy, and the EU Delegation to Sri Lanka.  

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5. Application Form