Supporting African-European collaborative projects and residencies

This programme supports deep, long-term partnerships between African and European performing arts organizations and artists. Rather than short exchanges, we fund substantial three-year collaborations that create new work, build institutional capacity, and establish lasting professional relationships across continents.

Who can apply: Performing arts organizations, venues, festivals, and artist collectives from both Africa and Europe applying together as partnerships. Each tandem must include at least one African and one European partner with demonstrated experience in performing arts programming, production, or presentation.

What we support: Three-year collaborative projects that combine artistic creation with institutional development. This includes co-created productions, artist residency exchanges, joint training programmes, shared festivals or presentations, and capacity-building initiatives. Projects should benefit both partners equally and create sustainable ongoing relationships.

Types of collaboration: Cross-creation residencies where artists from both organizations work together over extended periods, joint productions that tour both continents, training exchanges for technical and administrative staff, shared programming initiatives, and collaborative research into performing arts practices and traditions.

Partnership requirements: Both organizations must commit significant time and resources to the collaboration. Projects should demonstrate genuine co-creation rather than one-way exchanges. Strong applications show how both partners will grow artistically and institutionally through the collaboration.

Financial support: Substantial funding over three years covers artist exchanges, production costs, capacity building, travel, accommodation, and project management. Budgets should reflect the ambitious scope of creating meaningful, long-term partnerships between organizations on different continents.

How to apply: Joint applications assessed on partnership strength, artistic vision, institutional capacity of both partners, and sustainability plan. We look for projects that will continue beyond the funding period and create models for ongoing Africa-Europe cultural cooperation.

Launch Date: 15.09.2025
Cut-off Date: 15.01.2026
Implementation Phase: 01.04.2026 – 31.03.2029