Programme Overview
The Goethe‑Institut invites creative and artistic practitioners from:
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
- and the European Union
to apply for grants under the “Africa–Europe Partnership for Culture: Southern Africa” programme.
This initiative is funded by the European Union and aims to strengthen cultural cooperation within Southern Africa and between Southern Africa and Europe. The programme supports regional cultural production, encourages intercultural dialogue, and promotes the co‑creation of new narratives around tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
What This Programme Is About
This programme invites artists to engage with heritage narratives from six countries, reimagining them through a contemporary creative lens.
Selected participants will:
- Receive a €6,000 grant
- Take part in a six‑month Heritage Narrative process
- Co‑produce three creative works
These works will be showcased at:
- A local presentation festival in the country of the Heritage Organisation
- A one‑week regional festival in one of the six project countries
Key Facts at a Glance
- 72 creative and artistic practitioners
- Allocated to a minimum of 8 Heritage Narrative Clusters
- Over a period of 6 months
- Each selected participant receives €6,000
Programme Objectives
Overall Objective
- To support Southern African creatives from different countries to collaborate on co‑productions that communicate the meaning and relevance of Southern African cultural heritage.
Specific Objectives
- To select approximately nine interdisciplinary artists per cluster
- Each cluster must:
- Include artists from at least three countries
- Represent multiple artistic disciplines
- Be balanced in terms of gender
Expected Results
- Interdisciplinary co‑productions combining diverse artistic expressions
- Innovative storytelling that enhances heritage visibility and relevance
Heritage Narrative Clusters
Each cluster is led by a Heritage Organisation, previously selected through a separate open call.
These organisations identified:
- A cultural heritage narrative to be re‑imagined
- Three artistic co‑productions to communicate the renewed narrative
Thematic guidelines for each organisation are included in the full Call for Proposals.
Eligible Activities
Participants will:
- Co‑create and co‑produce three distinct artistic works
- Work in clusters composed of nine artists from at least three countries
- Explore narratives and formats already defined by the hosting Heritage Organisation
Possible formats include:
- Film
- Theatre
- Exhibitions
- Other artistic outputs
Artists will collaborate closely with each other and the hosting organisation throughout the process.
Participant Commitments
Selected creatives must commit to:
- Participation in a one‑week narrative retreat
- Travel to two joint working sessions
- Online collaboration over six months
- Travel to two public project presentation events
Applicants may apply to up to three clusters, but will be selected for only one.
Financial Support
Each selected artist will receive:
- €6,000 grant for six months (subject to active participation and reporting)
Additional support includes:
- Travel, accommodation, and per diems (covered by the programme)
- All production and presentation costs covered by the hosting organisation
Additional Support Available
To promote inclusion, additional funding is available on top of the €6,000 grant:
- Family Support:
- Up to €100 for childcare or dependent care
- Disability Support:
- Up to 100% of the grant value, depending on need
Support requests are confidential and assessed on a case‑by‑case basis.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be an individual artist/creative or part of a creative group
- Be legally residing and working in:
- Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
- OR be based in the EU
- Have at least 3 years of professional creative experience
- Be 18 years or older
- Be available to participate in all programme activities
Exclusion Criteria
The following are not eligible:
- Individuals under 18
- Staff or immediate family of Goethe‑Institut or relevant Heritage Organisation
- Individuals or entities under EU restrictive measures
Award Criteria
Applications will be assessed based on:
- Relevance – Alignment with heritage narrative (30%)
- Quality – Creativity, innovation, interdisciplinarity (30%)
- Feasibility – Ability to collaborate and deliver (20%)
- Impact – Visibility and intercultural dialogue potential (20%)
Gender balance, inclusion of artists with disabilities, and geographical diversity will be ensured.
Selection Process
- Eligibility screening
- Review by an independent jury of cultural and heritage experts
- Notification of results via the GAP platform
Only one application per person is allowed. If multiple applications are submitted, only the last one will be considered.
Deadline: 29 May 2026