Sound Connects Fund: Creating funding opportunities during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced more challenges, notably a direct impact not only on the revenues earned by artists, but also on the funding remaining for investment in arts programmes or sectoral development. In addition, corporate and philanthropic investment in the cultural and creative sector is limited. As a result, morel funding initiatives are needed to support and foster growth  across the sectors.

In particular, the cultural and creative sectors in Southern Africa repeatedly cite four main areas where investment is needed for growth:

1. Increased visibility: Providing greater opportunities to showcase creative goods and services from Southern Africa and to build new audiences.
2. Mobility: The need for more opportunities to travel to build audiences and networks, and share knowledge. 
3. Finance: The need to find and establish sustainable funding models.
4. Support structures: Skilled management, professional technical support, quality infrastructure and support for new entrants to the market.

Working from these insights, the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit organisation with the mission to support the African music sector, and Goethe-Institut South Africa ­– the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute ­­– have created the Sound Connects Fund, a multifaceted initiative aimed at accelerating development and increasing the capacity of the cultural and creative sectors in Southern Africa. The fund is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme, which is implemented by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and funded by the European Union (EU).

To find out more about the Sound Connects Fund, visit the official website.