Art School Africa Internship Program

Organization: Art School Africa
Location: Art School Africa (Cape Town, South Africa), and AfriCell Foundation (Luanda, Angola)
Duration: Summer 2026 (8 Weeks)
Open Positions: 1-2 (Harvard College students only)
Funding: Unpaid Internship; Travel and Living stipend provided by CAS to cover the cost of the program
Application Deadline: February 15, 2026 

Art School Africa is a registered non-profit organisation committed to supporting aspiring art practitioners across the African continent as they embark on their professional careers. Despite Africa’s rich and complex artistic history, many artists continue to face challenges in building sustainable careers and accessing global markets. The organisation works to bridge this gap by addressing the structural barriers that limit opportunities and access to educational resources for professional art practice.

In collaboration with the Harvard University Center for African Studies, Art School Africa conducts in-depth research, producing an annual report that highlights the key obstacles faced by emerging artists. These findings inform the organisation’s educational programmes, which include talks, panel discussions, and in-person workshops led by industry experts. All sessions are digitally archived to ensure long-term, universal accessibility.

Art School Africa also collaborates with leading institutions to provide exhibition opportunities, giving artists a platform to present their work and enabling galleries and collectors to discover new talent. 

As a non-profit, the organisation develops innovative initiatives to further its mission, including the Beyond Stitches t-shirt series and the Collectors’ Club.

Internship Overview

Interns will be part of ASA’s day-to-day operations, gaining hands-on experience in the cultural non-profit sector while contributing directly to the growth of artists and communities in Africa.

Internship Structure (8 weeks):

Weeks 1–6: Cape Town, South Africa

• Direct involvement in planning and executing ongoing Art School Africa projects, including workshops, Collectors Club events, exhibitions, and more.
• Exposure to Cape Town’s cultural ecosystem through visits to local art institutions and galleries.

Weeks 7-8: Luanda, Angola (TBC)

• Assisting with a collaborative conference being hosted in Luanda contributing towards running the events, manager speakers, setting up, documenting the events, partnership-building.
• Contributing towards a written piece pertaining to the Angolan art ecosystem and takeaways from the seminar.
• Assist with ASA programming and community engagement in collaboration with local artists and cultural spaces.

Responsibilities:

1. Programme & Event Support

• Assist in planning, production, and documentation of exhibitions, Collectors Club events, and workshops.
• Support logistics, artist liaison, and supplier coordination for exhibitions and activations.

2. Communications & Outreach

• Contribute to ASA’s social media, newsletters, and website, highlighting artists, events, and partnerships.
• Draft and edit communications materials including invitations, press releases, and post-event reports.
• Strengthen relationships with ASA’s community of artists, collectors, and institutional partners.

3. Research & Strategy

• Assist in impact measurement by gathering feedback and compiling data from ASA programmes and offering.
• Contribute to strategic materials such as pitch decks, donor reports, and partnership proposals.
• Support the development of Art School Africa’s first publication, which compiles research reports from previous years into a single volume.

4. Administration & Operations

• Help maintain ASA’s artist and collector databases.
• Provide administrative support including scheduling, budgeting, and archiving.
• Assist in building ASA’s digital archive of exhibitions and programmes.

Work Environment: 

The internship is hybrid: part based in Cape Town, South Africa, and part in Luanda, Angola (TBC). In Cape Town, interns will work closely with the Art School Africa founder from a co-working office space, requiring a commitment of at least eight hours daily. Office hours are 9am - 5pm. 

**This internship may be supported with a CAS travel grant; however, Art School Africa and its internship program is independent from the Center for African Studies. The Center for African Studies will provide pre-departure advising and an in-person pre-departure orientation. Once students are in-country, they will be traveling independently. All students are required to register with International SOS MyTrips. Harvard Global Support Services is also available as a resource to students.