Deadline: 16-Apr-23

The Institut français and the Agence française de développement (AFD) are launching the call for applications for the Accès Culture programme for the period 2023-2026 that aims to support cultural cooperation projects in Africa whose activities provide the public with a kind of cultural dynamic.

Accès culture aims to support and finance cultural projects in Africa in order to foster social ties and strengthen collaboration between African and French cultural actors. This programme is open to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and cultural establishments of local authorities (conservatories, municipal art schools, etc.) who will work in pairs on a project that responds to a local need. The primary objective is to use culture to promote social cohesion by developing cultural activities for those who are farthest away from the cultural offer for social, economic or geographical reasons.

Funding Information

• The selected projects will be awarded a grant of between €60 and €75K over three years (the amount of the grant will constitute a maximum of half of the project’s overall budget, partners will have to contribute at least the other half from their own or external funds).
• Each quarter, they will benefit from technical support (dialogue space) on the subjects they have chosen (logical framework; administrative management; gender aspects; ecological transition; economic model; fundraising; cultural mediation issues by discipline or by geographical area, etc.), in addition to collective seminars on the African continent.

Eligible Projects

• Be implemented in Africa;
• Have a maximum implementation period of 3 years;
• Be a cultural cooperation project co-constructed between a structure based in France and a structure based in Africa (eligible structures are: associations, foundations, cultural establishments of local authorities that have been in existence for at least 2 years);
• To be part of a cultural action approach as a factor of social ties at the benefit of local populations, in particular those who are furthest away from the cultural offer, and for the benefit of the SDGs, such as (non-exhaustive list):
  • Artistic education project
  • Action aimed at vulnerable populations (young people, women, etc.)
  • Setting up professional meetings in the arts and culture sector
  • Cultural exchange and training programme between schools
  • Capacity building in cultural mediation
  • Transfer of competence/social action project
  • Awareness-raising action through culture on Sustainable Development themes.
• Particular attention will be paid to:
  • Projects that are part of a process to reduce gender inequalities, with the establishment of a target of 50% of projects led by women and a target of 10% of projects that are gender sensitive/targeting women;
  • Projects involving African diasporas present in France;
  • Projects with a capacity building/training component;
  • Projects involving people with disabilities;
  • Projects involving awareness-raising actions on the ecological transition through culture.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible candidates are partnerships rooted in equal cooperation and an exchange of good practice between one French and one African entity. In this respect, associations, foundations and cultural establishments of local authorities that have been in existence for at least 2 (two) years may apply.
• The Accès Culture programme also encourages the consolidation of partnerships of pre-existing pairs. Structures that have already benefited from Accès culture support, in the framework of new projects with a new partner, or in the follow-up of previously supported projects with the same partner, are also eligible, as long as these projects are completed at the time of the call.

For more information, visit AFD.