Have you ever wondered how cultural initiatives can thrive in challenging environments? What support is available for artists striving to make efforts and innovate their cultural heritage? The Afghanistan Cultural Fund (ACF) at Goethe Institute addresses these questions by providing financial aid to Afghan artists and cultural practitioners.

The ACF’s mission is to support and promote the rich diversity of Afghanistan’s cultural landscape through targeted funding opportunities. By offering financial support for music and storytelling projects, the ACF aims to preserve the country’s artistic heritage while fostering creativity and innovation. The fund is committed to ensuring that Afghan artists in the country and diaspora have the resources and platform to share their unique perspectives with the world.

The ACF’s current open calls invite Afghan artists to submit proposals for projects that celebrate the country’s musical diversity and capture the myriad experiences of Afghan life through storytelling. With a transparent selection process and a commitment to inclusivity, the ACF encourages applications from female cultural workers and those beginning their artistic careers. The fund also welcomes collaborative projects between artists in Afghanistan, those in exile, and those in the diaspora.

Key Details and Dates

• Application Deadline: August 15, 2024 (11:59 PM (CET))
• Result Announcement Dates: Mid-November 2024
• Funding Type: Grants
• Organizer: Afghanistan Cultural Fund (ACF)
• Eligible Countries: Afghanistan and Afghan diaspora
• Eligible Gender: All genders, with encouragement for female cultural workers
• Target Group: Afghan artists and cultural practitioners
• Focus Area: Music and Storytelling
• Number of Opportunity: Multiple projects within a total budget of 250,000 Euros
• Duration: Project-specific
• Project Categories:
  • Music
  • Storytelling

Benefits and Financial Aids

ACF provides a total budget of 250,000 Euros for the two calls. The selected artists will receive:

• The maximum grant amount of 10,000 Euros per project
• Encouragement for storytelling projects that explore Afghan life through various artistic forms

Eligibility Criteria

Artists must meet these requirements:

• Applicants must be Afghan artists, ensembles, organizations, initiatives, and cultural practitioners, both within the country and in the diaspora
• Afghan applicants should be at least 18 years old
• Female cultural workers and those at the beginning of their artistic careers are especially encouraged to apply
• Collectives, including collaborations between artists in Afghanistan, exile, and the diaspora, are welcome
• Project duration should not exceed more than five months

In-Eligibilities:

• Commercial projects and ongoing operational costs.
• The ACF doesn’t fund projects in North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, and occupied regions of Ukraine.
• Projects involving individuals subject to U.S. sanctions are not eligible for funding.

Required Documents

• The completed application form is available on the Goethe Institute’s application portal.
• Detailed project proposal
• Budget plan
• Proof of identity
• Any additional documents asked by ACF

Note: Applications to the ACF must be online in English.

Selection Process and Criteria

Applications opened on July 1, 2024, and will close on August 15, 2024. The application process and criteria are as follows:

• Initial Review: In this stage, the ACF management conducts administrative checks.
• Evaluation: Following the initial review, expert jurors assess applications on relevance, quality, innovation, and feasibility.
• Pre-selection: The Jurors’ evaluations are compiled into a pre-selection table for jurors’ meetings and discussions.
• Final Review: After the jurors’ meeting and discussions, the Advisory Board reviews final selections.
• Results Announcement: The final decisions will be posted on the ACF website.
• Grant Finalization: At the final stage, the successful applicants finalize agreements and process initial payments.

Evaluation Criteria:

The evaluation criteria and scoring are as follows:

• Relevance (1-5): Alignment with the call’s scope, significance, inclusivity, and connection to social, gender, and heritage issues.
• Quality (1-5): Clarity, coherence, artistic level, and past project quality.
• Innovation (1-5): Originality, innovative tools, and approaches.
• Feasibility (1-5): Budget feasibility, implementation plan clarity, and anticipated outcomes.

How to Apply?

• Visit the Goethe Institute’s application portal by clicking the link below
• Complete the online application form.
• Prepare and submit a detailed project proposal and budget plan.
• Ensure all required documents are included and submitted by the August 15, 2024 deadline.
• Await notification of results around mid-November 2024.

Apply Now

Refer to the official ACF website for more information and specific application instructions. You can also review the FAQs.

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