How do we not only survive the current moment, but reimagine the future for cultural work and an interconnected, thriving cultural field on the continent? Pro Helvetia Johannesburg invites arts professionals and organisations in Zimbabwe and Zambia to apply for support to realise novel approaches to sustainability and growing new networks and markets with the rest of the continent.

Building on the experience of the ANT mobility fund over a number of years, the ANT Adaptation Fund looks for proposals that explore new ways of working in the emerging post-COVID reality of economic contraction, digital adaptation, a reduced local consumption base, ongoing challenges to infrastructure supporting the arts, and continued constraints on international mobility and touring. The call aims to support adaptation to the successive shocks experienced at the level of operations, livelihoods and programming wrought by the COVID19 pandemic in the cultural field in these two countries.

Key Focus Areas

The fund supports projects and activities that involve one or more of the following areas of action supporting sustainability for individuals and organisations in Zimbabwe and Zambia:

• Transnational collaboration within the region and/or continent
• Accessing new audiences and markets, whether domestic, regional or more broadly international
• Digital adaptation, whether at the level of creation, collaboration, distribution, monetisation of artistic practice/work
• Product/service development towards diversification of income streams
• New approaches to partnership or collaboration between non-profit, commercial and/or public entities

Applications should relate to at least one of the following disciplines:
(1) Performing arts (theatre, live arts, and dance); (2) Digital arts, gaming and new media; (3) Visual art, craft and design, (4) Literature and publishing; (5) Multi/cross-disciplinary applications of the arts; and (6) Music.
Activities and Projects should take place between July and December 2021.

ANT Adaptation Fund for individuals and informally constituted group

ANT Adaptation Fund for arts companies, festivals and organisations

Apply for ANT Adaptation funding

Individual arts professionals (artists, curators, organisers) and informally constituted groups from Zimbabwe and Zambia are invited to submit applications that address one or more of the key focus areas and disciplines mentioned above. The maximum value of grants for individuals and informally constituted groups is USD 3 000.

Arts companies, festivals and arts organisations/businesses (legally constituted non-profit or commercial entities), are invited to submit proposals that address one or more of the key focus areas and disciplines mentioned above. The maximum value of grants for companies, festivals and arts organisations/businesses is USD 10 000.

Finance can be assigned to the following types of costs/expenses: 

• Time: your time to develop new concepts, activities, products and projects (this should not exceed 1/3rd of the overall request; in the case of organisations this can be assigned to salaries). 
• Tools: materials and equipment supporting new production methods and/or digital adaptation; software and hardware supporting digital adaptation; IT and connectivity costs, etc. 
• Travel: Local and international travel costs supporting collaboration, project development, presentation of work, etc. (including visa and accommodation costs). Note: only Economy flights are supported; Per diem costs are supported up to USD30 per day per person; Accommodation costs should not exceed USD60 per person per night.
• Expertise: fees for: creative collaborators; training, mentoring and support; organisational development expertise (for organisations and companies); promotional and marketing costs, product and/or service development inputs, etc. 

Activities/costs that do not qualify for funding:

Criteria informing the evaluation of your proposal include: 

The Call for Applications for the 2021 ANT Adaptation Fund is open until Sunday 6 June 2021.

To apply, download the relevant form provided on this page. Completed applications must be submitted via email to Pro Helvetia Johannesburg at: regional@prohelvetia.org

Only successful applicants will be contacted and announced at the end of June 2021.