Call for applications: Mophradat co-production fund

The programme is a fund intended to support co-productions by art practitioners from Arab-speaking countries. It seeks to incite productive conversations, encourage the development of bespoke protocols for collaboration, and push for new art experiences to take place.

Mophradat will support projects under four categories:

Informal Co-ops

This category is for projects that offer imaginative and practical solutions for a mutual concern of a group. A minimum of four practitioners needs to take the initiative to identify a resource that they can share for six months to one year, helping them develop their work. Projects eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, securing a shared work studio, music PA system, video editing suite, 3D printer or an assistant for the group.

Successful applicants in this category will receive $6 000, with the projects expected to begin on 1 May and last not more than a year.

Private Audiences

This category supports projects that seek to ensure that practitioners continue to present and engage with audiences as access to institutional venues becomes increasingly difficult. The event’s organisation must involve at least three people working collaboratively as curators or presenters. It can be a one-time event or a series that presents, for example, a small exhibition, performance, dance piece, concert, etc.

Successful applicants in this category will receive $1 000, with the projects expected to take place between 1 May and 1 October.

Topical Assemblies

This category supports projects that propose access to specialised intellectual or vocational knowledge where formal structures or public platforms for such learning are lacking. Participants could organise a collective discussion such as a seminar or workshop, on a specialised topic of their interest. Depending on the needs, this can be online or in-person, with or without guest speaker(s). However, it must have a committed group of at least four people to develop it together. The assembly can be public or limited to the group.

Two successful applicants will receive $1 500, with the projects expected to occur between 1 June and 1 October.

Your Ideas

Mophradat keeps this category open for participants who want to initiate their original concepts. The budgets will be determined by the specificity of the proposal but should not exceed $4 000. Mophradat will support one project, and the time frame will be agreed upon based on the proposal’s specific needs.

Eligibility

Applicants must be artists, researchers and cultural actors from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

To be considered, the project should:

• Be complete (all documents requested should be submitted).
• Be related to a field of contemporary arts (all disciplines are welcome).
• Be for a contemporary art activity or project by artists or other arts practitioners from or living in the Arab world, or be relevant to the region.
• Be realised by professional artists and/or other arts practitioners (such as curators, critics, writers, etc.) who have been active in their field for several years.
• Be ambitious and demonstrate an awareness of artistic concerns.
• Involve no commercial activity or organisation.
• Be devoid of any intention to promote intolerance, violence, patriarchal worldviews, or any form of discrimination based on ability, age, gender, nationality, origin, race, religion or sexuality.
• Not work against Mophradat’s mission and values, which are highlighted here.

Note:

• Whether selected or not, all applicants will receive a response to their applications by 15 April.
• Shortlisted participants will be invited for an online conversation to elaborate on their application before final selection is made.
• All recipients will sign an agreement with Mophradat.
• Project participants will be expected to provide a narrative report at the end of the project.

Interested individuals can access the application form here by 15 March.

View the original call here.