SOUND CONNECTS FUND FOR ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA (The Music in Africa Foundation (MIAF) in partnership with Goethe-Institut)

admin July 6, 2021

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SOUND CONNECTS FUND FOR ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

1ST CALL FOR APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

The Music in Africa Foundation (MIAF) in partnership with Goethe-Institut invites organisations in the Southern Africa creative and cultural industries to apply for grants from the recently launched Sound Connects Fund, which aims at accelerating development and increasing the capacity of the cultural and creative sectors in Southern Africa.

DEADLINE: 25 July 2021.

Operating under the banner; ACP-EU Culture Programme (Southern Africa) – Sound Connects Fund, the initiative is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme, a project implemented by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and funded by the European Union (EU). The programme is co-funded by the Goethe-Institut.

The Sound Connect Fund is implemented by the MIAF in partnership with Goethe-Institut South Africa and the Siemens Stiftung, a founding partner of the MIAF, is also a partner of the fund.

For more information about the Sound Connects Fund, download the Grant Application Pack and how to apply click HERE.

OVERVIEW

The Sound Connects Fund is a multifaceted initiative that aims to accelerate development and increase the capacity of the cultural and creative sectors in Southern Africa by offers financial support in the form of different sized grants and a comprehensive capacity-building programme to eligible creative and cultural industry organisations based in Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe; and operating in the animation, film, gaming, performing arts, photography, videography and visual arts sectors.

SOUND CONNECTS FUND

The Sound Connects Fund will 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.

Sound Connect Fund is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme, a project implemented by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and funded by the European Union (EU).

MUSIC CONNECTS US

It is clear that in southern Africa’s vibrant cultural sector, music is a significant force that connects and coexists within a wide range of art forms, in some instances playing a central role in fields such as dance, theatre, video, gaming, film, fashion and related industries. Proposals for grants will be therefore challenged to look at sound not only in relation to music but also in related sectors such as sound in videogames and animation films, sound in audio-visual arts, sound as a supporting aspect of the fashion industry (e.g. fashion shows) and sound in the digital creative sector.

The first call for grant applications will open on 17 June 2021 and close at midnight on 25 July 2021. Information about how to apply and successful applicants will be available on this dedicated project page. The second and third calls for grant applications are scheduled for early and late 2022.