Call for Sadc creatives in €4m Sound Connects Fund
LOCAL creative and cultural organisations are being invited to apply for a €4m Sound Connects Fund which was launched by Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in partnership with the GoetheInstitut South Africa towards supporting creatives in southern Africa.
Operating under the banner ACP-EU Culture Programme (Southern Africa), the initiative is being backed by the ACP-EU Culture Programme, a project implemented by the secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States and funded by the European Union (EU).
The Siemens Stiftung, a founding partner of the MIAF, is also a partner of the fund for which applications online at http://bit.ly/ SCFApplyHere opened on June 17, 2021 and are set to close at midnight on July 25.
The second and third calls for grant applications are scheduled for next year.
Using the theme of sound as a strong connecting factor across creative industries in the region, the fund will support multiple disciplines including, but not limited to, performing arts, animation, film, gaming, photography, videography and visual arts sectors.
In a statement, the Zimbabweborn MIAF director Eddie Hatitye said Sound Connects Fund is a multifaceted initiative aimed at accelerating development and increasing the capacity of the cultural and creative sectors in southern Africa.
He said eligible organisations included arts organisations, educational institutions, associations, industry bodies, hubs and incubators, media houses, civil society and other relevant registered entities.
“The ACP-EU Culture Programme (Southern Africa) — Sound Connects Fund is an incredibly crucial initiative that will make a huge difference across the creative industries in southern Africa. We are calling on all eligible organisations to seize this opportunity and propose sustainable programmes that are aligned to the clear goals of this initiative,” he said.
“The initiative will strategically seek to support projects and activities that facilitate the rapid production and distribution of high-quality goods within and outside the region, increase capacities among professionals, support rapid mobility and exchange among creators.
“Enhance access to new markets, develop visual literacy (especially among underrepresented groups), promote advocacy aimed at protecting the interests of creators and support the existence of sustainable financing structures.”
Hatitye said at least 35 grants that range from €35 000 to €180 000 would be awarded between 2021 and 2024.
“From 2021 to 2024, the fund will award grants worth €2 850 000 and offer a robust capacity-building programme (to the value of €570 000) to eligible creatives and cultural industry organisations in nine Sadc countries, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe,” he said.
“The project’s name and focus are influenced by this reality. The name speaks to the overarching vision of the project, which is to define sound as a connecting force for the creative industry in southern Africa — one that is dynamic, vibrant, more self-sustaining, and loudly heard and seen globally.”
Hatitye said grant applicants would be challenged to look at sound not only in relation to music, but also in relation to sectors such as sound in video games and animation films, sound in audio-visual arts, sound as a supporting aspect of the fashion industry (eg fashion shows) and sound in the digital creative sector.
Regional director of the Goethe-Instituts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Klaus Krischok, said: “Sound Connects Fund aims to reach progressive cultural and creative initiatives across nine countries in Southern Africa. The joint initiative is more relevant than ever in times like these when arts and culture are under duress.”
He said for more information about applications, people could visit the website http://www.musicinafrica.net/scf or scf@musicinafrica.net.