Sound Connects Fund announces second batch of grantees

The Sound Connects Fund (SCF) is a multifaceted initiative that aims to accelerate development and increase the capacity of the cultural and creative sectors 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; and operating in the performing arts, animation, film, gaming, photography, videography and visual arts sectors. The fund 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 funded by the European Union (EU).

The announcement follows an open call for grant applications from eligible countries across the SADC region in March 2022. The second call received a strong response with innovative proposals across a wide range of disciplines, including music, dance, film, fashion, visual arts, theatre, animation, and literature. There was also a significant increase in applications from Lusophone-based organisations in countries such as Mozambique and Angola, among others.

The final recipients were chosen from eight countries and awarded funds which varied in size with a total amount of €911 000. The length of each beneficiary’s project will vary between eight to 12 months depending on the size of their grant.

The successful applicants of Sound Connects Fund’s second round are:

Centreprise Investments Lts T/A Chaftop Animation (Zimbabwe)
Project name: Quack Quack Duck
Amount received: €97 000
Discipline: Animation

Chipata Radio Services T/A Breeze FM (Zambia)
Project name: Promotion of Traditional and Indigenous Communication Systems for the People of
Eastern Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique
Amount received: €62 406
Discipline: Performing arts

Copyright Society of Malawi (Malawi):
Project name: Malawi Digital Archives
Amount received: €100 000
Disciplines: Music, film, photography and literature

FreeYourMind Entertainment (Namibia):
Project name: Sounds of Nam: A National Tour
Amount received: €75 452
Discipline: Music

Gabinete de Conservação da Ilha (Mozambique):
Project name: Macuti Festival: traditional dances, music and theater on the reinforcement of the cultural heritage identity of the Island of Mozambique
Amount received: € 59 890
Disciplines: Dance and theatre

House on Fire (eSwatini):
Project name: Collabo-Nation
Amount received: €100 000
Discipline: Music

Modzi Arts (Zambia):
Project name: Rackless Abutu
Amount received: €100 000
Discipline: Visual arts

MOVART – Arte em movimento Lda (Angola):
Project name: Nzinga Residency - MovArtSocialProject (MASP)
Amount received: €90 700
Discipline: Visual arts

Windhoek Fashion Week (Namibia):
Project name: MTC Windhoek Fashion Week
Amount received: €100 000
Discipline: Fashion, music and animation

Xiluva Artes LDA (Mozambique):
Project name: Promoting Access to Art and Culture Products for Children in the Periphery of Maputo
Amount received: €35 594
Discipline: Arts education

YC Films (Mozambique):
Project name: Nahota
Amount received: €60 000
Discipline: Film and digital technology

Zimbabwe Theatre Academy Trust (Zimbabwe):
Project name: Enhanced capacity for young theatre makers as a vehicle for cultural promotion and commercial venture
Amount received: €35 990
Discipline: Theatre

For more detailed information on our grantees and their projects, please read here: https://musicinafrica.net/scf/awarded-grants

The third and final Sound Connects Fund call for grant applications is expected to open in the last quarter of 2022. For more information about the fund, interested eligible applicants can visit: www.musicinafrica.net/scf