Zim: Culture Fund extends support to five more projects

The announcement follows 42 other projects that were awarded $748 588 in June following a call inviting creatives, culture professionals and agents representing the creative civil society in Zimbabwe to submit proposals for funding.

The recent allocation of funds, the trust said, was particularly directed to address the needs of vulnerable communities. People with disabilities, marginalised and emerging creatives, and women from rural communities have been prioritised, based on demonstrated capacities to improve livelihoods.

“Through the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, the EU has committed €2 060 500 over 36 months to the CreativeACTIONs 2 project,” a statement reads. “The project was launched in January 2023 with a focus on nurturing and empowering Zimbabwean artists and cultural practitioners across a spectrum of disciplines, encompassing music, dance, theatre, literary arts and fashion.”

CreativeACTIONs 2 is aimed at complementing national development priorities by funding innovative artistic and cultural expressions, empowering civil society, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and providing training and skills development programmes for arts and culture practitioners.

As part of this ongoing endeavour, the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust and the EU Delegation have earmarked the next cycle of small grants funding, expected to take place between October and November 2023. Interested applicants are invited to access and download application forms directly from the Culture Fund website.

Below are the five new grant beneficiaries:

• Intercultural Dialogues: Bringing Popular Folklores to Life in Zimbabwean Sign Language – $10 000.
• Supporting young female cinematographers and editors in the Zimbabwe film sector – $ 9 515.
• Enhancing Social Inclusion of Young People with Disability in Mutare District through Digital Audio-Visual Media – $9 949.
• The Reading Time Series – $10 000.
• Basket Weaving Capacity Building – $49 264.