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The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) on 6 July officially launched the Sound Connects Fund (SCF) with a digital broadcast event from Soda Studio in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The event provided viewers with in-depth information about the €4m fund, which will run from 2021 to 2024 and accelerate the development of the cultural and creative sectors in Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Present at the launch were MIAF director Eddie Hatitye and MIAF projects manager Violet Maila, who participated in a discussion about how organisations in the designated countries can access funding through the SCF. They were joined remotely by Dr Nadine Siegert, head of culture and development at Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, which is partnering with the MIAF on the implementation and funding of the project.
“The launch was an imperative milestone for the Sound Connects Fund,” Maila said. “Through the event, we were able to decimate information about our open call to potential applicants across the eligible regions. The event was not just an information-sharing session but also a celebration of what is a historical moment for the Music In Africa Foundation and our partners.”
The launch, which was hosted by Boitumelo Motsoatsoe, also featured a Q&A session and pre-recorded messages of support from MIAF chairperson Yusuf Mahmoud, Goethe-Institut secretary-general Johannes Ebert, Siemens Stiftung project manager for culture Jens Cording and ACP-EU Culture technical assistance unit team leader Gian Giuseppe Simeone.
Watch the Sound Connects Fund digital launch here(link is external).
About the Sound Connects Fund
The SCF is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme, a project implemented by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and funded by the European Union (EU). The Siemens Stiftung, a founding partner of the MIAF, is also a partner of the fund.
Calls for applications for the SCF will be announced annually via the Music In Africa portal. At least 35 grants will be awarded from 2021 to 2024 and range between €35 000 and €180 000. The first call for grant applications opened on 17 June 2021 and will close at midnight on Sunday 25 July 2021.
More information is available on the SCF official website.