PhotoKTM invites applications for the Southasia Incubator, a program for lens-based practitioners from across Southasia to share work, engage in critical dialogue, and explore collaborations. It connects practitioners with curators, editors, publishers, researchers, festival organizers, and other professionals who can help open doors and expand possibilities.

Over the years, the program has become a space for reflection, mentorship, and solidarity building– nurturing communities of care and exchange across Southasia. Participants from the first two editions have gone on to receive residencies, exhibition opportunities, and invitations to present their work in regional and international platforms and institutions.   

This year, the Southasia incubator program will push these goals but go further. This edition of PhotoKTM is focusing on building solidarities across the majority world. We have a wonderful group of Mentors who will lead critical conversations about mobility and exchange in the arts and how it is shaped. They will support participants in thinking about how to find “opportunities” and resources to support their practices based on their own aspirations and interests, going beyond western flows of capital.

The program is open to lens-based practitioners from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, and Bhutan.

A video with participants of the PhotoKTM5 Southasia Incubator

Program Details

• Participants should be of Southasian origin, living and working within Southasia.
  
• The program is designed for practitioners with a minimum of five years of active experience in their field.
  
• A maximum of 8 participants will be selected for this edition.
  
• Each participant is expected to bring a minimum of one and a maximum of three projects to share and discuss. These can be presented as digital presentations, prints, publications, or other relevant formats.
  
• The Southasia Incubator program will run from 17th to 21st November 2025.
  
• Participants will be provided with single-room accommodation for seven days and nights (14th–21st November), along with a daily meal stipend of NPR 1,500.
  
• Lunch will be provided for all participants during the program days (17th–21st November).
  
• Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from Kathmandu.

Mentors

• Andrea Thal – Contemporary Image Collective, Cairo
• Chelsea Chua – Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, Singapore
• Jessica Lim – Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops, Angkor
• Paola Farran – mmag foundation, Amman
• Tif Ng – Magnum Foundation, New York

Application Process

To apply for the program, please submit the following via the google form:
https://forms.gle/8ReyfwvZXDbeWb8d6

In the form you will be asked to submit the following:
Updated CV, a short bio, a profile photo, and your portfolio (with up to three projects).
You will also be asked to include a short note of motivation describing how you would like to grow your practice over the next two years, the specific areas where you feel you need support, and how you wish to engage with audiences.

Application deadline: 22 October 2025

If you have any questions or concerns, please write to us at mail@photoktm.com or contact Bunu Dhungana at +977 9810189087 (Whatsapp)

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FAQ

What do you mean by lens-based practitioner?
We are open to a wide range of lens based practices that use photography and moving images as a starting point including artistic, documentary, research-based, and curatorial approaches. You may be working independently or as part of a collective. 

How much experience do I need to apply?
The incubator is designed for practitioners with at least 5 years of active engagement in their practice, who have several developed bodies of work to share. 

What will the program involve?
The incubator will run for five intensive days in Kathmandu, where participants will share their work with mentors, and discuss ways to take these works forward. The program will include group discussions, one-on-one discussions, and activities focused around the festival programming and events. We will share a detailed schedule with selected participants. 

Who will select the participants?

The PhotoKTM team will carefully review the applications and make selections. Selected participants will be informed by 28th of October 2025. 

Who are the mentors?
This year, mentors will be curators, festival organisers and cultural practitioners representing institutions from various Global South locations. We will announce the mentors soon. 

What happens after the program?
The “incubation” that happens in the 5 days in Kathmandu is envisioned as the beginning of a longer conversation. PhotoKTM will sustain conversations and meetings between participants and mentors over the next two years.