SINGAPORE - A new award by arts space Objectifs will provide two South-east Asian photographers with financial and professional support over six months.

The annual Objectifs Documentary Award will encourage photographers - and artists working in photography in South-east Asia - to develop work that addresses social issues in their home countries.

The Open Category, open to South-east Asians with more than five years of professional photography experience, will offer a grant of $3,500 and the chance to work with National Gallery of Singapore curator Sam I-shan.

Singaporeans and permanent residents with less than five years of photography experience can apply via the Emerging Category. The recipient will get $2,000 and a six-month mentorship with Sim Chi Yin, who was commissioned as the Nobel Peace Prize photographer last year (2017).

Objectifs, founded in 2003, is a non-profit arts space in Middle Road dedicated to photography and film.

Says Objectifs' centre director Emmeline Yong: "We hope to encourage work that will add to the depth and breadth of global dialogue on critical issues, which is especially necessary in South-east Asia.

"As one of the leading visual arts centres in South-east Asia, we feel well-positioned to offer deeper support to photographers by championing their work."

Work by the two recipients will be exhibited in March and April next year (2019) as part of Objectifs' Stories That Matter documentary programme.

The deadline for applications is May 6. Recipients will be contacted by June.

For more information, go to https://www.objectifs.com.sg/docuaward2018/