Call for applications: Arts fund in Zambia

The 30 million Zambian kwacha ($1.5m) empowerment scheme will be disbursed in the form of loans with the support of the Citizens Empowerment Commission of Zambia as its fund manager.

The objective of the scheme is to:

• Create a revolving fund that will develop the arts sector and benefit many artists and arts businesses in the long run.
• Provide continued business support services for the development of sustainable arts enterprises.
• Stimulate the creation of employment opportunities for young people by supporting the growth and sustainability of arts enterprises.

Eligibility

• As a prerequisite obligation, applicants must be Zambian nationals either by descent, naturalisation or domiciled in Zambia.
• Applicants must be practising artists and paid-up members of any of the national arts associations affiliated to the NACZ and/or arts organisations registered by the NACZ.
• Applicants must be: a legally incorporated entity pursuant to the provisions of the Cooperatives Act of 2017 and or ordinarily registered under the Department of Cooperatives; a legally incorporated entity pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act no. 10 of 2019 of the laws of Zambia and or ordinarily registered under the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA).
• National arts associations affiliated to the NACZ are also hereby empowered to incorporate special purpose vehicles that will apply for the loans under the empowerment scheme. These entities can either be cooperatives registered under the Cooperatives Act or Companies registered under PACRA.
• The applicant must have traceable referees or guarantors as provided in the application form. A guarantor must be a person of good repute within the local community or a legally registered institution, e.g. clergy, senior government official or chief).
• The entity must have an active business bank account.

Guidelines and application form

The guidelines and application form can be downloaded below or can be physically obtained from all provincial cultural offices and district cultural offices under the Ministry of Tourism and Arts or from the below address:

National Arts Council of Zambia
Acacia House
Cairo Road
PO Box 50812
Lusaka
Zambia

Submission

• All completed application forms and the necessary attachments should be submitted in hard copy at the provincial cultural offices and district cultural offices under the Ministry of Tourism and Arts or National Arts Council Secretariat in Lusaka.
• The deadline for submission is 15 September at 5pm. Only hard copy applications will be accepted.
• In line with government policy, the council also encourages the participation of youth artists, female artists and artists living with disabilities.

The application form/funding guidelines and original call can be downloaded below.