CALL FOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
The Creative Passport is inviting Contributing Writers to join a growing independent online media publication dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries in South Africa and the African continent.
Founded by Thami akaMbongo Manzana,
The Creative Passport documents, interrogates, and amplifies conversations around arts, culture, policy, governance, heritage, community, and the creative economy.
Our work sits at the intersection of practice, lived experience, accountability, and cultural justice.
As the platform continues to grow, we are opening space for multiple voices, perspectives, and disciplines to contribute meaningfully to public discourse.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are inviting practicing practitioners, thinkers, researchers, and cultural workers who are passionate about the sector and can write with clarity, honesty, and depth.
You do not need to be a trained journalist.
You do need to understand the sector you are writing about.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOCUS AREAS
Applicants may indicate interest in one or more of the following segments:
ARTS & CULTURE
Theatre, dance, music, visual arts, festivals, heritage, reviews, profiles, reflections.
CULTURAL POLICY & GOVERNANCE
Arts councils, legislation, Parliament, public institutions, governance, accountability, regulation.
CREATIVE ECONOMY & OPPORTUNITIES
Funding calls, jobs, councils, boards, creative entrepreneurship, sector development.
COMMUNITY, ACTIVISM & SOCIAL COHESION
Arts in communities, grassroots initiatives, social justice, cultural activism, access and inclusion.
OPINION & COMMENTARY
Thought-provoking opinion pieces grounded in experience, research, or practice.
WHAT THIS IS (AND WHAT IT IS NOT)
This is:
• A platform for independent voices
• A space for critical but responsible writing
• A growing publication aligned with ethical journalism principles
• A place to build credibility, visibility, and influence
This is not:
• A gossip platform
• A mouthpiece for political parties or institutions
• A space for personal attacks or defamatory writing
CONTRIBUTION MODEL (IMPORTANT)
• Contributions are currently on a voluntary / contributing basis
• Writers receive full bylines, short bios, and profile visibility
• Contributors retain intellectual authorship while granting publication rights
• Opportunities for paid work may arise as funding and resources are secured
• Contributors are part of a growing editorial ecosystem, not once-off content dumping
Transparency and ethical engagement are central to how we work.
EDITORIAL VALUES
All contributors must align with:
• Accuracy and fairness
• Respect for lived experience
• Right of reply where necessary
• Accountability and correction of errors
• Independence from undue influence
The Editor retains final editorial discretion.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
• Artists and cultural practitioners
• Arts administrators and producers
• Policy researchers and analysts
• Masters / PhD students
• Cultural activists and organisers
• Retired practitioners with institutional memory
• Emerging writers seeking a serious platform
Diversity of voice, geography, discipline, and generation is strongly encouraged.
HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST
Please fill in the attached Google Drive Form on the following link:
There is no closing date at this stage. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
A FINAL NOTE
The Creative Passport is not just building a publication — it is building a record of our time, shaped by those who live and work in the sector.
If you believe the Cultural and Creative Industries deserve serious, honest, and informed coverage, this space is for you.
Let us write the sector into history — together.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE CREATIVE PASSPORT
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