Open call: DKS-LAB 2025

Open call: DKS-LAB Visual Art Oslo 2025

Are you a visual artist with an idea for a project that can take place in a classroom? Are you interested in creating an art production for and in collaboration with children and youth? Do you want to learn more about dissemination and the Den kulturelle skoelsekken (DKS) program? Then DKS-LAB is for you!

Oslo Kunstforening and UKS are announcing this year’s open call for DKS-LAB Oslo. The deadline for applications is on March 14th. Professional artists who wish to develop a dissemination program and have an interest in DKS productions are encouraged to apply. We welcome applications from visual artists working with all materials, methods, and expressions. Participants will be selected based on the submitted applications with project descriptions. 

DKS-LAB is a program where professional visual artists are invited to test educational projects for children and youth, based on their own artistic practice. Artists apply with an idea that, during the project period, is further developed into a full project, in collaboration with fellow artists and art professionals. The production is then carried out in the classroom with students and evaluated. After the project period, the artist should be confident that the project can be submitted to the regular DKS program.

The purpose of DKS-LAB for visual arts is to provide children and youth with more and better encounters with contemporary art, within a wide variety of expressions, and to give artists the opportunity to practice conveying their own art to the target audience. DKS-LAB is designed to offer artists better conditions to develop content for the DKS program.

DKS-LAB is a nationwide network divided into different regions and is part of the Cultural School Bag (DKS). DKS-LAB for visual art in Oslo is led by Oslo Kunstforening and will take place in 2025 in collaboration with UKS (Unge Kunstneres Samfund).

During the project period, you will have the opportunity to try out and further develop your project from idea to production, in collaboration with fellow artists and professionals. The total working time for the test lab is five days and will be compensated. The sessions and testing of the communication program will take place in Oslo. This year, the tests will be conducted with 8th-grade students in Oslo schools.

The first few days will be used for an introduction of this year’s participating artists and projects. We will introduce DKS (The Cultural School Bag), share experiences, and discuss issues related to the program. Then, the artists will present their productions. Days five to seven will be dedicated to practical testing in classrooms. Each artist will conduct one test in the school, with opportunities for evaluation and adjustments throughout. Oslo Kunstforening will ensure that the tests are photographed, and the artist may freely use this material in applications.

Application Requirements

– Name, address, phone number, and email
– You must have a regional connection to Oslo
– A brief presentation of your artistic practice (max 1 A4 page)
– A short description of your idea for the communication program and why you are applying to DKS-LAB Visual Art Oslo (max 1 A4 page). Remember to plan for each production/test to last approximately 60-90 minutes
– Attachments: CV and portfolio. Feel free to include a link to your website 
– Please let us know whether you have previous experience with DKS and/or DKS-LAB, and if so, why you are applying again

Applications should be sent to post@oslokunstforening.no by March 14th.  
Subject: “DKS-LAB 2025.” For questions, please contact Lona Korjenic-Hansen at lona@oslokunstforening.no or by phone +47 22 42 32 65.

Timeline

March 14: Deadline for submitting applications to DKS-LAB Visual Art Oslo 
April 7–9: Introduction days, presentations and preparations 
April 10–11: DKS-LAB testing in classrooms 
April 24–25: DKS-LAB testing in classrooms, summary and evaluation 
Fall 2025: Review of DKS application portal and application guidance