Call for Applications: Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture: Medium-Sized Festival Grants

Deadline: 08-Sep-2026

The Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture: West Africa initiative provides grants of up to €50,000 to medium-sized festivals in eligible West African countries to strengthen cultural collaboration, international partnerships, and festival-sector development. Funded by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut, the programme supports festivals working in cinema, music, literature, performing arts, visual arts, heritage, and audiovisual and animation sectors. What Is the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture Programme? The Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture: West Africa initiative is designed to strengthen connections between West African and European cultural sectors. The programme focuses on the internationalization and organizational development of medium-sized festivals in West Africa. It encourages festivals to build long-term partnerships, collaborate across borders, increase professional mobility, and create opportunities for artists and cultural professionals. The initiative also promotes inclusive and environmentally responsible cultural programming. Why It Matters The programme can help West African festivals strengthen their international position while creating new opportunities for artists and cultural professionals.

It aims to:

- Increase cooperation between West African and European festivals. - Support international cultural partnerships. - Encourage artistic collaboration and co-production. - Improve festival organizational capacity. - Increase artist and cultural professional mobility. - Develop international marketing strategies. - Strengthen local, regional, and intercontinental cultural networks. - Promote gender equality and accessibility. - Encourage environmentally sustainable festival practices. Funding Available Each selected organization can receive a grant of up to €50,000. Funding is disbursed in instalments based on: - Achievement of agreed milestones. - Financial reviews. - Project implementation and reporting requirements. The grant can cover a range of eligible project-related expenses. What Can the Grant Fund?

Eligible costs may include:

- Project staff. - Festival and event organization. - Co-production activities. - Artist fees. - Travel and accommodation. - Outreach and communication. - Accessibility adaptations. - Environmental sustainability measures. - Professional mobility. - Short-term training. - Participation in international events. - Networking and partnership-building activities. The proposed costs must be directly connected to the approved project and fall within the eligible project period. Cultural Fields Covered The programme supports medium-sized festivals operating in the following cultural and creative sectors: - Cinema - Audiovisual and Animation - Heritage - Literature - Music - Performing Arts - Visual Arts Festivals should demonstrate meaningful activity within one or more of these eligible fields. Festival Clusters and European Partnerships An important feature of the initiative is its emphasis on festival clusters. A cluster can consist of seven medium-sized festivals coordinated by a major festival working within the same artistic field.

These networks are intended to support:

- Capacity building. - Professional networking. - Artist mobility. - Knowledge exchange. - Regional cooperation. - International partnerships. - Collaboration with European festivals. Applicants should therefore consider how their festival can contribute to and benefit from wider networks rather than operating as an isolated initiative. Priority Activities Priority is given to proposals that create meaningful international and regional collaboration.

Examples include:

- Collaborative artistic projects. - Co-productions between festivals or cultural organizations. - Festival touring initiatives. - Professional mobility programmes. - International networking activities. - Partnerships between West African and European festivals. - Development of international marketing concepts. - Capacity-building activities. - Joint cultural programming. Strong proposals should demonstrate how these activities can generate sustainable relationships beyond the funded project. Inclusion and Gender Equality Applicants must incorporate measures that promote inclusive participation.

The programme specifically encourages:

- 50% participation by women as a target. - Participation of people with disabilities. - Accessibility measures for cultural activities. - Inclusive professional and artistic opportunities. Applicants should explain how inclusion will be integrated into project design, implementation, participation, and monitoring. Environmental Sustainability Environmental responsibility is another important component of the programme. Applicants should consider measures such as: - Reducing waste. - Improving resource efficiency. - Encouraging sustainable mobility. - Reducing unnecessary travel where appropriate. - Using environmentally responsible event practices. - Incorporating sustainability into festival operations. Environmental measures should be practical and relevant to the proposed activities. Who Is Eligible? Applicants must meet the programme’s organizational and geographical requirements.

Eligible applicants must:

- Be legal entities. - Be registered in one of the 15 eligible West African countries. - Operate in an eligible cultural or creative field. - Organize a medium-sized festival. - Have the organizational capacity to implement the proposed project. - Demonstrate relevant cultural activities and partnerships. Eligible organizational forms may include: - Public organizations. - Private organizations. - Non-profit organizations. - Foundations. - Collectives with appropriate legal status. Only one application per organization is permitted. Eligible West African Countries The programme is restricted to organizations legally registered in the designated eligible West African countries. Applicants should confirm that thei