Call for applications: All-Around Culture programme for Arab countries

All-Around Culture is a collaborative and interconnected programme that consists of five components implemented over a four-year period. They include the Cultural Alliances component, Youth-led initiatives, Cross-border Collaboration, Interconnected Environment and Awareness and Dialogue.

The Cultural Alliances component will support up to 12 cultural alliances consisting of 36 cultural entities, which seek to:

• Strengthen their adaptive capacities and to engage in setting up a collaboration within alliances as well as broader partnerships on local, national and regional levels.
• Enhance cultural ecosystems.
• Facilitate and increase access to the culture within their contexts.

Who can apply?

The call primarily targets cultural and artistic entities that are based and/or are actively engaged with wide and diverse audiences beyond the urban centres from the following countries:

• Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Libya and Syria.

Interested entities should note the following before applying:

• Each cultural alliance consists of one established entity as the lead applicant and two emerging entities working within the same country. 
• All applying entities should be legally registered in their country of residence.
• The lead applicant must be an independent (non-governmental), well-established entity with substantial experience working within the arts and culture sector. 
• The remaining two partners should be emerging independent cultural and artistic entities.
• The three applying entities must be working within the same country or two different regions of the same country separated by borders (created, for example, by foreign occupation or political partition) regardless of whether these borders are internationally recognised.
• Entities cannot apply as part of more than one alliance.

The All-Around Culture programme will offer successful entities the following:

• A grant of up to €110 000 ($130 000) to support the stability of entities and foster their investment in sustainable collaboration.
• Tailor-made learning modules including mentorship, training and workshops, among others, to improve alliances managerial, collaborative and strategic competences.
• Regional collaboration by providing opportunities for alliances to participate in other components of All-Around Culture to expand their professional networks.
• Regional workshop to learn new theories and explore different approaches to help the mapping ecosystems in their countries.

Important dates 

• First round of selection: March 2021.
• Regional workshop of cultural alliances: May 2021.
• Submission of developed collaboration concept notes: June 2021.
• Final results announcement: July 2021.
• Grants agreements: August 2021.
• Support and mentorship: September 2021 to August 2023.
• Submission and review of the final reports: September to November 2023.

Interested individuals can access the application form here.

The application deadline is 7 January 2021 (4pm Beirut time).

Meanwhile, the All-Around Culture programme′s call for youth-led initiatives engaged in cultural and civic activities is ongoing. For more information on how to apply, click here. 

For more information on the cultural alliances component, download the original call attached below.