Music In Africa Foundation and Goethe-Institut launch Sound Connects Fund

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 Goethe-Institut.

The Sound Connects Fund is a multifaceted initiative aimed at accelerating development and increasing the capacity of the cultural and creative sectors in Southern Africa. From 2021 to 2024, the fund will award grants worth €2.85m and offer a robust capacity-building programme (to the value of €570 000) to eligible creative and cultural industry organisations in nine SADC countries: Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

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

“The ACP-EU Culture Programme (Southern Africa) – Sound Connects Fund is a crucial initiative that will make a huge difference across the creative industries in Southern Africa,” MIAF director Eddie Hatitye says. “We are calling on all eligible organisations to seize this opportunity and propose sustainable programmes that are aligned with the clear goals of this initiative.”

The regional director of Goethe-Institut in sub-Saharan Africa, Klaus Krischok, said: “Sound Connects aims to reach progressive cultural and creative initiatives across nine countries in Southern Africa. The joint initiative is more relevant than ever in times when arts and culture are under duress.”

Multiple disciplines and key focus areas

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, the performing arts, visual arts, animation, film, gaming, photography and videography.

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.
• Support the existence of sustainable financing structures.

Calls for applications

Calls for applications will be announced annually via the Music In Africa portal. At least 35 grants will be awarded between 2021 and 2024. The grants will range between €35 000 and €180 000. 

Eligible organisations include arts organisations, education institutions, associations, industry bodies, hubs and incubators, media houses, civil society and other relevant registered entities.

The first call for grant applications opened on 17 June 2021 and will close at midnight on Sunday 25 July 2021. The second and third calls for grant applications are scheduled for 2022. 

For more information about applications, visit the official website HERE.

Sound connects us

Music and sound are a universal language that has connected people and communities globally for centuries. 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. 

The project’s name and focus are influenced by this reality. Additionally, 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. 

Grant applicants will therefore be 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.

Apply now at http://bit.ly/SCFApplyHere.

For more information about the Sound Connects Fund, visit the official website, email us at scf@musicinafrica.net, or call +27 (0)10 140 1317.