ACF ACADEMY is a pan-African program dedicated to the professionalization and enhancement of art professions in Africa. Initiated by the African Culture Fund (ACF), this incubation and support program targets young visual artists and cultural managers. Its goal is to stimulate and improve the competitiveness of African art professionals through artistic training camps, creative residencies, and capacity-building programs in cultural management and visual arts. These initiatives are concentrated across five centers of artistic and cultural excellence on the continent: North Africa (Tunisia), Central Africa (Cameroon), West Africa (Mali), Southern Africa (South Africa), and East Africa (Seychelles and Kenya).

In this context, the African Culture Fund and Bandjoun Station launched a call for applications from October 1 to October 30, 2024, aimed at young visual artists from Cameroon. This initiative illustrates their shared commitment to fostering the emergence and professionalization of young talent in the field of visual arts in Africa. The program offers young creators a unique opportunity to access a platform for artistic expression, benefit from specialized training, and participate in rich and diverse cultural exchanges.

Aware of the many challenges facing young African artists, such as the lack of technical resources, difficulty accessing professional networks, and insufficient creative spaces, ACF and Bandjoun Station are committed to supporting these talents by accompanying them in their creative and professional integration processes. The program is distinguished by its holistic approach, combining artistic practice, advanced training, creative residencies, and meetings with internationally renowned artists.

Following the close of this call for applications on October 30, 2024, 36 applications were received. The applicants included 27 men and 9 women, with entries spanning various fields such as photography, graphic design, drawing, and painting.

The selection process took place in three stages: file registration and sorting, pre-selection and evaluation, followed by the final selection by an independent jury.

The jury, composed of two representatives from Bandjoun Station (Mr. Barthélémy TOGUO and Mr. Thierry FOUMÉNE) and a representative from the African Culture Fund (Mr. Moussa Boubacar DIARRA, ACF ACADEMY Program Manager), met virtually on Monday, November 11, 2024, to carry out the final selection of applications.

Following these deliberations, 13 applications were selected, including 9 men and 4 women.

The African Culture Fund extends its sincere gratitude to all applicants for their interest in this pan-African program dedicated to the professionalization of arts and culture.

 

CLICK HERE TO DISCOVER THE LIST OF SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

 

X