Call for applications: Music In Africa Live 2021

Covering all African countries, the aim of MIAL is to offer financial support to operators, to enable them to create high-quality performances and promote, market and showcase their content to a wider global audience, primarily via digital means, and to facilitate the creation and dissemination of educational content with a view to upskill and enable professionals to adjust and adapt to the needs of the changing music industry.

In its second iteration, MIAL introduces a new category – Music Advocacy. This category will financially support projects that conduct advocacy aimed at protecting the interests of musicians through the creation of relevant content. It offers an opportunity for musicians who are not often heard to raise their voices and creatively package their actions in compelling formats that can reach wider audiences.

Music In Africa Live is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Grant types

Showcase (€6 000 – €10 000)

Showcase grants will support the production of high-quality digital live concerts, with an emphasis on professional productions that offer real exposure, potential export opportunities and generally more opportunities for participants (musicians and audience). 

• Concerts applied for must take place in Africa
• Concerts must be completed by 30 December 2021.
• All concerts applied for must feature live performances. For clarity, this means that the audio of performances shall not be coming from pre-recorded materials.
• We welcome concerts of all kinds and there are no restrictions on venues used, as long as the final product is of high quality.
• Proposed projects must showcase high-quality talent that is ready for regional or international export.

Applicants may apply for one of the two sub-categories:

• Category A (€10 000): Where the minimum number of individual performers booked and paid from the grant is 16. 
• Category B (€6 000): Where the minimum number of individual performers booked and paid from the grant is 10.

Capacity Building (€10 000)

Capacity Building grants support digital initiatives that develop relevant critical skills for music professionals to navigate the new challenges and the transformations of the industry, especially those introduced by the pandemic.

Types of projects: 

• Examples include, but are not limited to, training webinars, workshops, masterclasses and tutorial videos series. 
• Projects applied for must take place in Africa.
• Projects must be completed by 30 December 2021.
• All capacity-building programmes applied for must offer a realistic and comprehensive implementation plan.
• Proposed capacity-building areas may include, but are not limited to, music production, artist management, international development, new media, digital distribution, contract negotiation, booking and tour management.

Music Advocacy (€10 000)

This category funds projects that conduct advocacy aimed at protecting the interests of musicians through the creation of relevant content. It offers an opportunity for musicians who are not often heard to raise their voices and creatively package their actions in compelling formats that reach wider audiences.

Types of projects:

• Applicants are invited to be creative and propose projects that are primarily focused on lobbying in the interest of musicians, by using multimedia as the main format to action the advocacy.
• Content produced may include, but is not limited to, panel discussion, video series, podcasts, recorded music, etc.
• Projects that are solely intended to promote and benefit the applicant’s work will not be considered.
• Projects applied for must take place in Africa.
• Projects must be completed by 30 December 2021.
• All programmes applied for must offer a realistic and comprehensive implementation plan.

Who can apply? 

Regardless of the type of grant applied for, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be based and operating in Africa.
• Applicants and all participants in the project must be over 18 years old.
• Applicants must be formally registered in the local country, for example as an NGO/NPO, association, close corporation , private company, etc. 
• Have a valid bank account.
• Have been in existence for at least one (1) year.
• Applicants must be able to show at least three (3) live concerts produced in the last four (4) years (since 2017).
• Past recipients of MIAL are eligible, provided that they present new artists or topics. As a general condition, we wish to extend MIAL to beneficiaries who have not received support before. We encourage applicants to consider this in their concepts.
• Recipients must be willing to sign an agreement permitting the promotion of the created content to a wider audience (for non-financial purposes). 

Non-eligible projects 

• Academic research projects.
• Scholarships and fellowships for studies or training courses.
• Fundraising events such as charity galas.
• Projects supporting political parties or religious faith.

Language 

• Applications must be filled out in English or French using the provided templates and annexures.
• Submissions must be made in English or French on the official MIAL application submission form. 
• All project reports and supporting documentation must be in English or French.
• All communications from the MIAL team to applicants will be in English or French, including email, telephonic or otherwise. 

How to apply?

1. Visit www.musicinafrica.net/MIAL and read the call for applications carefully.
2. Read the grant application guidelines (available under the ‘Key Information‘ section and ‘How to apply’ tab here) carefully and collect all required supporting documents.
3. Download and complete the relevant annexures.
4. Go to the official MIAL application form. Complete and submit the online application form in ENGLISH or FRENCH.
5. Attach all the required supporting documents as well as your relevant budget. 
6. Once you have submitted your application, a confirmation of receipt message will be sent to your specified email address. 
7. Upload ALL the compulsory supporting documents. 

Important note: 

• The MIAL application submission platform does not allow applicants to save their applications and complete them later. Before applicants start any work on the submission platform, it is advised that they first collect all the required compulsory documents. 
• Email applications will NOT be considered.

Compulsory documents

The compulsory documents that must be submitted when applying are: 

1. Organisation’s proof of registration (a constitution or similar founding document is acceptable for new organisations that are not yet registered).
2. Detailed project description and implementation plan (Annexure A) – DOWNLOAD HERE (attachment available under the ‘Key Information‘ section and ‘How to apply’ tab). 
3. Proven track record with links to examples of a minimum of two (2) projects delivered of a similar nature to the grant type being applied for by the organisations (i.e. project reports, links to project websites, etc.). All examples must have taken place after 1 January 2017.
4. MIAL budget template (Annexure B) – DOWNLOAD HERE (attachment available under the ‘Key Information‘ section and ‘How to apply’ tab).
5. Proof of acceptance to participate – For showcases and capacity-building projects, you will need to demonstrate that you have communicated with the artists or trainers, and that they are willing to participate in your project. Such proof may be a screenshot of an email, letter, etc. 

ALL compulsory documents must be submitted in PDF format.

NOTE: Financial guidelines are set out in the MIAL guidelines, to be referred to when completing the budget template. 

Selection process

Application deadline: 29 August 2021 at midnight CAT.

• Eligible applications will be reviewed by the MIAL jury. The jury will comprise representatives from all five regions of the African continent.
• All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application by no later than 30 days after the call closes.
• Only complete applications will be considered.
• Only applications submitted via the dedicated online form will be considered.
• Late applications will not be considered.

Application forms

 You can apply in English or French using the provided templates and annexures.

• Access the ENGLISH application form HERE. 
• Access the FRENCH application form HERE.

For enquiries about the MIAL 2021 application process and other admin related matters, kindly email christine@musicinafrica.net.

About Music In Africa Live

The main goal of Music In Africa Live (MIAL) is to enable musicians to earn income from digital live performances at a time when many of them have lost their usual income due to the pandemic. The other focus of the project is to develop critical skills among professionals with a view to enable them to navigate challenges occasioned by the pandemic. In its second iteration, MIAL introduces a new category; Advocacy. This category will financially support projects that conduct advocacy aimed at protecting the interests of musicians through the creation of relevant content. It offers an opportunity for musicians who are not often heard, to raise their voices and creatively package their actions in compelling formats that can reach wider audiences

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