Call for applications: Music grants for Arab world

The grant supports production, performances, collaborations, album recordings and festivals. The programme provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand US dollars up to a maximum of $25 000 dollars for individuals and teams, and $35 000 for institutions and collectives.

When the grant from AFAC exceeds $10 000 yet only covers a portion of the project’s overall budget, the grantee is obliged to raise 70% of the remaining budget in order to be awarded the grant.

In the event that the grantee is unable to procure 70% of the remaining project budget within 90 days of receiving the grant, the latter will be cancelled. In the event that the grantee does not sign the grant contract within 60 days upon receipt thereof, the grant will be cancelled. Projects must be completed within two years of signing the contract, during which grantees are expected so submit the necessary financial and narrative reports.

No grantee will be awarded more than two deadline extensions during the grant period; such extensions should be justified by the grantee and approved by AFAC. AFAC does not offer mobility grants. Travel costs can be covered by the AFAC grant only when they are part of the implementation of a project.

Eligible candidates

• AFAC is open to receive project applications from all Arab individuals working in arts and culture. Project applications are accepted irrespective of age, years of experience, country of residence, ethnicity, gender or religion.
• AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional and international institutions whose projects are related to Arab culture. These include artistic, cultural, social and educational institutions, venues, centres and organisations, governmental and non-governmental, that are engaging with contemporary Arab arts and culture.

Ineligible candidates

AFAC will not consider applications submitted by:

• Members of the Board of Trustees, their business partners or family members.
• AFAC staff members, their business partners or family members.
• Members of the current year’s readers and jurors’ committees.
• Recipients of two consecutive grants unless two years had passed since the last grant (e.g. If a grantee had received two grants in 2017 and 2018, s/he can apply again in 2021).
• Applicants with a current open grant.
• Each applicant (individual or institution) is entitled to only one application in the same category.
• If an applicant has an application that is in process, s/he cannot submit another application in any category until the result of the current application in process is announced.

Eligible expenses

The AFAC grant covers project-related expenses (including artist fees up to 30% of the total grant amount). In the case of institutions, a small percentage of the grant (not exceeding 15%) can be allocated for certain running costs. AFAC and the jury reserve the right to determine whether the proposed running costs items are relevant or not. The percentage of allocation to artist fees and institutional running costs has been exceptionally raised in 2020 and 2021 to account for the challenges brought about by the spread of COVID-19.

Place and duration

• AFAC will not provide support retroactively, i.e. to projects already completed. For projects that have already started, AFAC will cover the expenses that will occur only after the signature of the contract if the project is selected.
• Projects may be implemented anywhere as long as they are created by Arab artists or – as in the case of non-Arab institutions - relevant to the Arab region.
• The project’s time frame should not exceed 24 months.

How to apply

• Applications are only accepted through online forms. Applications submitted via regular mail or e-mail will not be accepted.
• The applicant will receive a confirmation email once the online application has been received. Applicants are advised to follow up on the full completion and delivery of requested material as AFAC will not contact applicants if any part of their application is incomplete.
• Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
• To apply, applicants should login with a username and password. Once logged in, they will be directed to the applications page. In case they don’t have an existing account, they should create one here.

The application deadline is 4 July.

Supporting material

• It is highly recommended for applicants to submit supporting material/samples for the project they are applying with.
• Applications lacking in supporting material will not be considered for evaluation nor will the applicant be contacted to send the missing material.
• It is mandatory to submit samples of previous works/projects (up to three maximum) unless the project they are applying with is their first work.

For projects involving training, the following supporting materials are required:

• Curriculum of the training
• Trainers: CVs and agreement/commitment letter from the trainers attesting to their participation.
• For projects that involve work with external consultants (designers, trainers, performers, venues), a commitment letter from this third party is required.
• For projects that include an album recording or music production, a sample from the submitted project is mandatory.
• For projects involving festivals and concerts, applicants must include the names of the artists participating with respective letters confirming their participation.
• Supporting files/samples of current submitted project and/or previous work smaller than 10MB can be uploaded directly to the application. Supporting files/samples of current submitted project and/or previous work exceeding 10MB should be included as links to files on sharing websites (such as Dropbox, Vimeo and YouTube).

View the original call here.