MIAF and Goethe-Institut release Sound Connects Us documentary

Over a 40-month period, the SCF supported 36 organisations in the Southern African region to successfully implement developmental cultural projects in Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The fund was designed with the universal appeal of ‘sound’ as a guiding principle.

“The SCF has been one of our most important projects in the past few years,” MIAF executive director Eddie Hatitye says. “It has challenged us in many ways, allowing us to venture into a wide array of disciplines such as film, visual arts, gaming, animation and the likes. We are proud to see the amazing work that has been done across the SADC region, through this inspirational visual narrative.”

“This documentary provides an incredible, candid story that draws you into some of the aspirations, desires and perspectives of arts practitioners from across the SADC region. I hope that it will allow our peers in the industry to gain more insights and inspiration as we work towards a stronger cultural and creative industry [CCI] landscape across the continent.”

Sound Connects Us tells the story of the value and solutions deployed to strengthen the CCIs in Southern Africa. The visuals transport viewers across the region, visiting cultural projects in Angola, eSwatini, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe while being anchored by insights from the SCF implementers in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The film opens in Maputo, the culturally rich Mozambican capital city that hosted the Sound Connects Conference earlier in the year, and organically uncovers the passions and motivations that influenced some of the projects. Glimpses are given not only of the final products but also of the change agents who propelled the projects across the region. 

“The Sound Connects Fund felt like embarking on a long journey that laid out the cultural and social diversity and creative talent of the SADC region,” Goethe-Institut Johannesburg head of culture and development Carolin Christgau said. “The project allowed us to gain greater insights in the creative landscapes of the region, leaving us with new networks, potential partners and new ideas. We hope that this documentary shows this diversity and creativity as we experienced it and stimulates people and governments to engage with and strengthen the potential of the CCIs.”

Watch the Sound Connects Us documentary below: 

About the Sound Connects Fund

Implemented by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in partnership with Goethe-Institut, the SCF is a multifaceted initiative that aims to accelerate development and increase the capacity of the CCIs in Southern Africa by offering financial support in the form of different sized grants and comprehensive capacity-building programmes to eligible creative and cultural industry organisations based in Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The SCF is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture programme, a project implemented by the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU).

About the Music In Africa Foundation

The Music In Africa Foundation is a pan-African, non-profit organisation based in Rosebank, Johannesburg, with satellite offices in East, West and Central Africa. The MIAF’s mission is to support the African music sector through promoting knowledge exchange and creating opportunities and capacity for music professionals. The Foundation does this in two ways: digitally via the Music In Africa website (www.musicinafrica.net) and offline through training programmes, artist mobility programmes, workshops, concerts, lobbying, conferences and other related initiatives.

About Goethe-Institut

Goethe-Institut is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with a global reach. The institute promotes knowledge of the German language abroad and fosters international cultural cooperation. It conveys a comprehensive picture of Germany by providing information on Germany’s cultural, social and political life.

About the ACP-EU Culture Programme

Implemented by the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and funded by the European Union, the ‘ACP-EU towards a viable cultural industry’ programme (ACP-EU CULTURE) intends to boost the potential of the cultural and creative sector and its contribution to the social and economic development of the ACP countries.