Call for Concept Notes: Amplification Grants Program

Deadline: 9-May-23

Hivos’ office in Southern Africa is seeking concept notes from registered artistic collectives, creative hubs, and groups of content creators in the audio-visual sector in order to support the production of more consciously independent and self-sufficient makers, who create more critical, African cultural, media and intellectual productions, reach a wider and more diverse African audience and have an increased capacity to promote gender inclusivity, economic class diversity, and local accessibility and ownership in facilitating African cultural and media productions.

This open call is directed to registered entities that have grown their capacity to manage long-term grants and have carried at least one project audit currently based in the following Southern African countries: Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Besides artistic imagination, the production of Afrocentric/ Pan-African independent and conscious work that challenges or questions norms in society will be an important factor in the awarding of grants.

Funding Information

• The requested amount should be not less than EUR 20,000 and not more than EUR 30,000 over a 7 to 8-month period.

Eligible Countries: Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Eligibility Criteria

• This call is primarily directed to:
  • Registered and previously audited entities that are, or are representing communities and networks of young makers, i.e., physical and virtual spaces in which they can safely work, collaborate, and produce critical content in the audio-visual sector such as creative spaces, groups of artists, music studios, hubs, cafés, art spaces, art galleries, independent production houses, networks of artists and producers, online platforms, collectives, co-working spaces focusing on the creative industry.
  • Entities with experience and a traceable portfolio of working with content producers that are working in one or more of the following audio-visual sectors
  • Entities that make use of digital means (online platforms) to strategically distribute their content to their audiences. (i.e., through Social Media) with record of measurable audience engagement. Entities are strongly encouraged to coordinate with offline digital platforms e.g. community radios to increase reach in remote/ marginalized communities.
  • Entities that produce content/work that aims to show alternative viewpoints on big issues affecting society that challenges or question certain norms in society and promote Pan-African social progress. This content/work should challenge and examine repressive norms and tendencies within African societies, question the status quo and hegemonic power in society, and show alternative perspectives and points of view.

For more information, visit Amplification Grants Program.