Africalia

Africalia is a not-for-profit organisation which was founded at the end of 2000 on the initiative of the Belgian Development Cooperation and at the instigation of secretary of state Eddy Boutmans. Initially the organisation focused on distributing African productions in Belgium but as of 2007 Africalia became a cultural cooperation organisation which promotes sustainable human development by supporting African culture and contemporary art. With this goal in mind Africalia works with African cultural operators in civil society whose activities encompass a wide range of disciplines: from the audiovisual sector and literature to the performing arts and the visual arts.

Africalia’s activities aim to strengthen the technical, artistic and organisational capabilities of the sector’s professionals and to foster democratic debate through the empowerment and the participation of individuals and communities in cultural life. Africalia also encourages the emergence and the consolidation of cultural networks on the national, regional and continental level, by setting up collaborations and exchanges between partners that work in similar fields. Africalia currently works with 23 organisations and networks in seven sub-Saharan countries: Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe.