Call for applications: Arab world Abbara program

The Abbara program was launched in 2011 by Culture Resource, an NPO that supports artistic creativity and encourages cultural exchange in the Arab world.

The program aims to respond to the sociopolitical events that swept many countries in the Arab region and support independent cultural groups and organisations as key actors in the processes of societal transformation.

Since 2011, the Abbara program has:

• Supported collective cultural work by training, equipping and guiding independent cultural groups and organisations in the course of their development to help them forge the most successful structures for cultural work within diverse social, political and cultural contexts.
• Contributed to the development of the cultural sector by testing alternative models and approaches to organisational sustainability, in general, and financial sustainability, in particular, with a focus on ensuring the stability and durability of independent cultural groups and organisations.
• Addressed the common challenges of independent cultural work across the Arab region by creating links between groups and organisations engaged in cultural practice in the region to enable them to share learning, exchange expertise and develop mechanisms to support the independent cultural sector.

The application deadline is 11 November 2019 at 4:00 PM Beirut time. Successful candidates shall be notified in February 2020.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be originating from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, regardless of ethnic origin or citizenship status.

What does Abbara offer?

The Abbara program offers groups and organisations the following types of support:

• Financial support

Beneficiaries will receive up to $25 000 in core funding to cover such basic operational costs as administrative staffing expenses, rent and upkeep of premises, running costs and website development. The funding does not cover programs activities. This support component lasts for at least 12 months.

• Training in cultural management

Abbara offers two cultural management-training workshops supervised by experts in the field and carried out in collaboration with independent cultural organisations from different Arab countries. Abbara’s training component has evolved to include peer learning and address contemporary topics.

• Technical support

The areas covered by the technical support are tailored to each organisation based on a needs assessment conducted after the first workshop.

• Networking

Beneficiaries are provided with a space for networking through activities organised within the framework of the program itself and that engage many cultural organisations from different parts of the Arab region. It also encourages Abbara’s beneficiary organisations to participate in other Culture Resource programs such as Imkan and Wasl.

How to apply

Interested individuals can access the online application form here.

For more information about the Abbara program, email [email protected].

View the original call here.