CALL FOR PROPOSALS # 3 – ACF Solidarity Fund for African Artists & Cultural Organisations (SOFACO)
Batch No.1 : Special Covid-19 / Artist
SPECIAL CALL COVID-19 – #1 / ARTISTS
Support for creation and resilience to African artists facing the COVID-19 crisis
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Over the past few months, the entire world has been experiencing an unprecedented health crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19). This global crisis has resulted in paralyzing human activities, that could lead to predict immeasurable negative impacts on the development of the countries in the world.
In this rather particular context where no continent or country, or even sector of activity is spared, the creative sector is proving to be one of the most severely impacted sectors by the effects of the pandemic.
In many African countries, the majority of creation, production and distribution centers are closed and artists are idle, without prospects, many of them living between despair and dismay.
In such context, it becomes urgent and a priority to offer assistance and support mechanisms for artists so that creativity and artistic productivity do not stop, but also allow them to effectively resist the pandemic and preserve the socio-economic structure of the already fragile African creative sector
In light of these findings, the African Culture Fund (ACF) is launching the present first batch of calls for projects exclusively for the benefit of artists, through the Solidarity Fund for Artists and Cultural Organizations in Africa (SOFACO), in order to support African artists on whom the COVID-19 crisis has had a negative effect. A second batch will be launched in June/July 2020 for the benefit of cultural organizations (Batch No. 2: Special Covid-19/Cultural Organizations).
General eligibility conditions for funding requests
- Applicant eligibility
- Type of eligible projects
- Geographic coverage
- Selection procedure
- Evaluation criteria
- Contract and disbursement modalities
- Indicative timeline
- How to Apply
- Be an artist with at least five years of experience, practicing and residing in Africa (proof required);
- Hold an artist card or equivalent document (provide a copy of the card or document);
- Provide a document showing your biography, your artistic career, your artistic approach and an overview of your artistic works (3 pages maximum);
- Demonstrate a situation of vulnerability (or a shortfall) arising from the Covid-19 health crisis;
- Submit a project request for subsistence (food grant, health grant or professional grant) or for assistance to creation (artistic creation or innovation within the context of Covid-19).
- Provide a letter of recommendation from at least one recognized reference person in the discipline you practice (pointing out the need and urgency to support you).
The food grant is a subsidy to allow the beneficiary to meet his immediate food needs during the crisis period.
The health grant is a subsidy to allow the beneficiary who is victim of Coronavirus disease to cover his clinical treatments or the pharmaceutical costs.
The professional grant is an aid or a subsidy granted to an artist for a provisional payment of his wages or his remuneration lost or suspended because of Covid-19.
The creation adapted to the context of the Covid-19 is any artistic creation or innovation whose realization adapts to the context of the Covid-19 pandemic or which allows the artist to ensure the continuity of his activity despite the crisis situation.
For this first call “Special Covid-19 / Artist“, ACF supports requests in the following two categories of projects:
- Category 1: Applications for subsistence grants
These are requests made by any artist or creator in a situation of vulnerability to the Covid-19 crisis. These requests relate to food grants, health grants and professional grants.
- Category 2: Requests for assistance to creation
These requests relate to artistic creation or innovation projects adapted to the context of Covid-19 in Africa.
The present call covers all African continent countries.
For any request made within the framework of this call, the amount to be granted by the ACF is 2,000 (Two thousand) US Dollars per artist. The funding covers a period between 4 months minimum and 6 months maximum.
- Recording and filing of files;
- Administrative examination of requests;
- Assessment by the award committee (Jury);
- Approval of the list of selected projects;
- Approval of funding allocation.
Applications will be assessed by an independent selection committee made of professionals working in the African cultural sector and knowledgeable of the artistic realities in the different African regions.
The selection committee will assess the applications using four (04) criteria:
- Originality/innovation/creativity of the project or concept;
- Technical quality of the application;
- Financial quality of the project;
- Relevance to the current African or regional context and/or to the situation of the Covid-19 (situation of vulnerability of the artist compared to the Covid-19).
A contract between the Fund and the grantee will be signed. The contract will include details on the activities to be carried out, the grant amount, the payment schedule and the reports.
The approved projects will be funded in two (02) installments:
- 50% of the grant, upon signing of the contract (pre-financing);
- 50% of the grant at mid-term, and upon presentation and approval of the narrative and interim financial reports.
|
Activities |
Deadline |
|
Initial call |
22 May 2020 |
|
Deadline for requests for clarification |
15 June 2020 |
|
Deadline for clarification by the ACF |
20 June 2020 |
|
Deadline for submission of proposals |
30 June 2020 |
|
Release of the results of the assessment by the selection board |
30 July 2020 |
|
Notification of funding allocations |
10 August 2020 |
|
Contracts signing |
As of 15 August 2020 |
Applicants must complete an online funding request form via the following link: https://www.africanculturefund.net/en/application-form-for-projects-acf/
Applications submitted by any other channel will not be considered.
Applications can be submitted in English or French.
The deadline for submitting proposals is June 30, 2020 at midnight GMT.
Incomplete files will not be considered. Applicants are invited to supply all the requested documents, as ACF will not contact any applicants, should any be missing in their application file.
The applicant will receive an automatic acknowledgment email once the application is received.
The results will be published on the ACF website and social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram).
Only successful applicants will be contacted by ACF.