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Launch of a new regional facility in support of ACP cultural and creative industries
The ACP-EU Culture Programme, a joint initiative of the European Union (EU) and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), is launching a new regional mechanism to strengthen the competitiveness of cultural and creative industries in ACP countries. With a budget of € 26 million, this decentralized mechanism contributes to the multiplication of funding opportunities and a more balanced distribution of financial aid between the regions concerned.
The OACPS and the EU wish to promote the socio-economic development of the 79 ACP countries by boosting their cultural and creative sectors. This is why the ACP-EU Culture Programme published in December 2019 a call for proposals – “Support to the cultural and creative sectors in ACP countries” for an amount of € 26 million.
This action inaugurates the establishment of regional “desks” – one per ACP region – which will be responsible for facilitating the increase of economic revenues from the cultural and creative sectors, the generation of employment as well as better accessibility, recognition and valorization of ACP artists and their works at the national, regional and international levels.
Managed by consortia of international, regional and national organisations promoting cultural and creative industries, the regional windows will respond to the needs of ACP operators in a targeted manner, publishing calls for projects at least once a year in the different sectors of culture and creation. An important support and assistance mechanism for cultural operators will be put in place to ensure the success of their projects.
This decentralised mechanism will also promote a better distribution of financial support between the six ACP regions, the multiplication of funding opportunities for cultural operators, a better structuring of cultural sectors at regional level and greater proximity with operators in the field. It is presented as follows:
ACP Region | Partner consortia | Budget |
West Africa | Institut français and Centre culturel Kôrè, Mali | € 6,2 M |
East Africa | The British Council and the HEVA Fund, Kenya | € 6 M |
Central Africa | Interarts Foundation, Institut National des arts de la RDC , the Association Culture et Développement, and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Gabon | € 4,2 M |
Southern Africa | Music in Africa Foundation and the Goethe Institut, South Africa | € 3,8 M |
The Caribbean | € 3 M | |
The Pacific | La The South Pacific Community, New Caledonia and Queensland University of Technology, Australia | € 2,8 M |
A first technical meeting between the different stakeholders of the ACP-EU Culture Programme as well as the consortia in charge of the regional desks took place on 18 December in order to formalise the implementation of the scheme in the different regions and discuss the modalities of their implementation