About the Program

All-Around Culture programme aims to foster a vital cultural ecosystem as an enabling environment for social and economic inclusion of young people in seven countries across the Arab region including Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Libyan and Syrian communities in these countries. The programme is co-funded by the European Union. 

All-Around Culture is a collaborative and interconnected programme that consists of 5 components implemented over a 4-year period to:

  • Support the stability of 36 cultural entities and foster their investment in sustainable collaboration to facilitate and increase access to culture within their contexts;
  • Promote youth-led cultural and civic initiatives through 32 research and 24 production grants along with collaborative laboratories to support community-based and contextual artistic production;
  • Create partnerships and exchange knowledge among 60 cultural entities from the Arab region and Europe; 
  • Practice ongoing knowledge exchange in order to connect diverse learning needs throughout the programme, as well as share ecosystem based approaches and practices with a wider community; and
  • Establish a platform advocating for open access to culture and for actions to ameliorate the working environment for cultural and artistic actions in the countries of intervention.

For your inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Component 1: Cultural Alliances

Call for applications: October 2020

Deadline: 14 January 2021

The component will support up to 12 Cultural Alliances consisting of 36 cultural entities, who are seeking to strengthen their adaptive capacities and to engage in setting up a collaboration within Alliances as well as wider partnerships on the local, national and regional levels with the aim to strengthen the cultural ecosystem and to facilitate and increase access to culture within their contexts.

The component will offer:

  • A grant of up to €110,000 to support the stability of entities and foster their investment in sustainable collaboration;
  • Tailor-made learning modules including mentorship, training, and workshops among others to improve alliances managerial, collaborative, and strategic competences; and
  • Regional collaboration by providing opportunities for Alliances to participate in other components of All-Around Culture in order to expand their professional networks. 

Component 2: Youth-led Cultural & Civic Initiatives

Call for applications: October 2020

Deadline: 25 December 2020

The Youth-led Cultural & Civic Initiatives aim to encourage community-based and contextual projects using collaborative approaches and to raise knowledge and capacities of young artists, collectives and cultural operators from underserved areas on the development of contextual work, and community engagement in cultural and civic activities. 

The component will offer:

  • Up to 32 research and 24 production grants to support youth-led cultural & civic initiatives to implement community-based and contextual artistic production; 
  • Two Collaborative Laboratories will take place consecutively where up to 16 artists, collectives and cultural operators will exchange experiences and raise capacities on cultural and civic project development applying community-based and contextual methodologies; and
  • Tailor made guidance, networking and support opportunities will be provided.

For more information, please visit the program’s website.

Component 3: Collaboration Fellowships between Arab Countries and Europe

Call for applications: April 2021

The Collaboration Fellowships between Arab Countries and Europe aim to initiate and support collaborations of cultural organizations within the targeted Arab countries and their peers in Europe. 

Up to 60 cultural professionals/managers from cultural organizations, initiatives or collectives (40 from the Arab region and 20 from Europe) will be selected to participate in two consecutive cycles of the Collaboration Fellowships throughout the programme duration. 

Each cycle will include a call for application targeting organizations, initiatives or collectives working with youth, and least-favored segments of society, and in underserved and underprivileged areas, who would be represented by young or influential cultural professionals/managers. This will be followed by a kick off meeting, sub-granting scheme, implementation of selected collaboration projects, placements, mentorship, among others, as well as follow up and evaluation meetings. 

In addition to being the space to create partnerships and exchange knowledge, the meetings will serve in establishing a regional and international network of organizations working with youth, remote areas, and communities in underserved areas. Other learning activities will also be provided in coordination with Ecosystems Academy. 

For more information, please visit the program’s website.

Component 4: Ecosystems Academy

The Ecosystems Academy is a cross-cutting resource center that connects all the learning needs and knowledge resources of this programme. The Academy team will facilitate the internal and external learning exchange to identify and respond to the learning needs of different stakeholders and actors involved in the programme. 

The component will offer:

  • Learning methodologies based on peer-to-peer exchange, learning-by-doing and mentoring support; 
  • Methodological inputs and process design support for the regional networking meetings around diverse relevant topics including capacity-building, community development, partnerships and collaborations; 
  • Up to 3 Ecosystems Academy meetings and other learning activities to strengthen the awareness of the cultural ecosystem by mapping and reflecting on the diversity of the actors working in arts, culture and civil society in the Arab region, their roles and interconnections and how it contributes to the resilience of the sector; and
  • Facilitate knowledge transfer between different actors within the programme and disseminate adapted methodological approaches and lessons learned with the wider community.

Component 5: Dissemination and Exploitation

The Dissemination and Exploitation component aims to disseminate the activities and results of the action and supported projects, increase access to culture, especially in underserved areas and to least-favored segments of the population and support the project stakeholders to contribute to policy dialogues and policy recommendations. In addition, the component will increase awareness about culture as a vector for social development and promotion of intercultural dialogue in the targeted countries. 

The component will offer:

  • Various communication activities to disseminate the various projects news and outputs;
  • Showcasing artistic productions, workshops and talks in partnership with three festivals in three different countries;
  • Organize a regional level policy dialogue regarding access to culture and intercultural dialogue in the targeted Arab countries with the support and input from the Cultural Alliances; and

Produce a white paper with policy recommendations and lessons learned, based on inputs from Policy Dialogues, Ecosystems Academy meetings, and beneficiaries’ reports.

Cultural Alliances

In the framework of All-Around Culture, a programme co-funded by the European Union, Culture Resource is pleased to launch the open call for the Cultural Alliances component.

The component will support up to 12 Cultural Alliances consisting of 36 cultural entities, who are seeking to strengthen their adaptive capacities and to engage in setting up a collaboration within alliances as well as wider partnerships on the local, national and regional levels with the aim to strengthen the cultural ecosystem and to facilitate and increase access to culture within their contexts.

Each Cultural Alliance consists of 1 established entity as lead applicant and 2 emerging entities working within the same country. The call primarily targets cultural and artistic entities who are based and/or are actively engaged with wide and diverse audiences beyond the urban centers. 

The Cultural Alliances component will offer a grant of up to €110,000 for each alliance to support the stability of entities and foster their investment in sustainable collaboration. Each alliance will also benefit from tailor-made learning modules including mentorship, training, and workshops among others to improve the alliances managerial, collaborative, and strategic competences. Finally, the component promotes regional collaboration by providing opportunities for alliances to participate in other components of the All-Around Culture programme in order to expand their professional networks. 

Who is eligible to apply? 

  • The Cultural Alliances call for applications is open to cultural and artistic entities working in the following Arab countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Libyan & Syrian entities based in those countries;
  • All applying entities should be legally registered in their country of residence;
  • The lead applicant must be an independent (non-governmental) well-established entity with solid experience working within the Arts & Culture sector;
  • The remaining 2 partners should be emerging independent cultural and artistic entities;
  • The three applying entities must be working within the same country or two different regions of the same country separated by borders (created, for example, by foreign occupation or political partition) regardless of whether these borders are internationally recognized;
  • Entities cannot apply as part of more than one alliance.

Profile of the Established Entities

  • Legally registered and in operation for at least 5 years;
  • Access to sufficient sources of funding and/or adopts a successful business model;
  • Strong local network especially with active stakeholders;
  • Ensuring a hub role locally for cultural and artistic entities;
  • High public outreach with existing wide audiences; 
  • Developing and/or having an alternative, cross-cutting, and socially-engaged practices (e.g. legal, social, environmental fields, etc.);
  • Strong capacity in cultural productions (e.g. festivals);
  • Holding expertise, providing services and facilities (e.g. training, access to physical space, etc.); and
  • Experience working with youth and/or working in remote areas and/or secluded groups in society with high potential to impact their surroundings.

Profile of the Emerging Entities

  • Legally registered and in operation for at least 1 year;
  • Grass-root based and/or enjoying a strong resonance with local communities;
  • Looking for national and regional exposure and cross border collaborations;
  • Potential for significant public outreach and influence;
  • Enjoying a strong local network with cultural and artistic talents;
  • Ability to implement innovative and multidisciplinary practices; and
  • Holding relevant projects with youth and/or in underserved areas and/or with the least-favored segments of the population.

At the Level of the Alliance

As part of the selection process, each alliance is requested to submit with the application form a draft collaboration concept note that reflects the organizations’ ability and motivations for carrying out the alliance and its role in shaping the cultural environment. The collaboration concept note will be assessed based on the following criteria:

  • The relevance of the proposed alliance to its social/cultural context and its impact on the local community;
  • The added value of the alliance on the partner entities and the potential of collaboration beyond the All-Around Culture programme;
  • The feasibility of the proposed concept and the best practices applied;
  • The involvement and engagement of partner entities in the development and implementation of the proposed joint activities;
  • The capacity to share knowledge and expertise among partner entities and with the other Cultural Alliances; and
  • The potential to strengthen the national cultural ecosystem by holding a more dynamic and adaptable role through the proposed collaboration.

What does the All-Around Culture programme offer to the Cultural Alliances?

  1. Financial Support: a grant will be provided to support the stability of entities and foster their investment in sustainable collaboration to facilitate and increase access to culture within their contexts. Each alliance will receive a grant of up to €110,000 (up to €60,000 per well-established entity and grants of up to €25,000 for each emerging cultural entity). The grant would cover general support and joint organizational development activities ensuring the effective operation of the alliances. 
  2. Regional Workshop: 60 cultural and artistic entities will participate in a regional workshop to learn new theories and explore different approaches to help them mapping ecosystems in their countries.
  3. Learning Frameworks: tailor-made learning modules and cross-cutting topics will be provided to the Cultural Alliances based on their needs through a multitude of approaches including mentorship, training, and workshops among others. Throughout the All-Around Culture programme, Cultural Alliances will be able to improve their managerial, collaborative, and strategic competences, in order to play a more active role supporting their peers and in strengthening the cultural ecosystem.
  4. Regional Collaborations: participating in other components of the All-Around Culture programme will enable the Cultural Alliances to build and widen their network and scope of activities and to develop their respective profile.

What do the Cultural Alliances offer to the All-Around Culture programme? 

  1. Long-term Commitment: Cultural Alliances will be strongly involved in diverse activities related to the All-Around Culture programme during its 4-year implementation period by providing services, facilities, or expertise (e.g. sharing knowledge and good practices, offering access to space, participating as trainers, jurors, or mentors).
  2. Collaboration: intention to evolve and to develop sustainable collaborations with different active stakeholders with the aim to strengthen the cultural ecosystem on national level.
  3. Mapping Ecosystems: interest and willingness from the Cultural Alliances to develop and explore different mapping approaches and to actively use them in mapping the cultural ecosystems in their countries of residence.
  4. Showcasing: by the end of the implementation period, the Cultural Alliances will present their collaboration experience to the local cultural and artistic community through a showcasing event (added value, lesson learned, best practices, etc.).

Evaluation Process

The application deadline is set for Thursday, 14 January 2021. After the application period closes, a preliminary screening of the applications will be performed to ensure that applicants meet the eligibility criteria and have complied with all application requirements. All the eligible applications will be submitted to an independent external jury who will be responsible for the selection of alliances based on a unified set of criteria.

During the 2nd Quarter of 2021, 20 shortlisted alliances consisting of 60 cultural & artistic entities will be invited to participate in a regional workshop to further develop their collaboration concept notes. Guidance from experts and peers using different methodologies will be provided to enable participants to better establish their alliances and their joint action plans.

The 20 Cultural Alliances will be invited after the workshop to resubmit the developed collaboration concept notes which will then be reassessed by the external jury members and up to 12 Cultural Alliances will be selected to take part in the programme and receive the financial support.

Timeline

Deadline for submissions: Thursday, 14 January 2021 at 16:00 Beirut time
First round of selection: March 2021
Regional workshop of Cultural Alliances: May 2021
Submission of developed collaboration concept notes: June 2021
Final results announcement: July 2021
Grants agreements: August 2021
Support & mentorship: September 2021 till August 2023
Submission and review of the final reports: September – November 2023

The mentioned dates are tentative and are subject to change.

How to Apply

Please follow the below steps in order to create an account and register on the online applications platform:

  1. Cultural Alliances open call is available on this page.
  2. The lead applicants have the option to save their application and get back to it at a later stage by clicking “Save my progress and resume later”. Applicants will be requested to add an email and password in order to be able to resume working on their forms later.
  3. The application form must be filled out in Arabic unless mentioned otherwise in the application. 
  4. The alliance must submit its collaboration concept note in Arabic. It is also recommended to submit a copy of the collaboration concept note either in English or French.
  5. Entities may submit the supporting documents either in Arabic, English, or French.
  6. After submitting the application form, a confirmation email will be sent to the applicants’ mail.

Contact Information 

For your inquiries, you can check the FAQs on the All-Around Culture website. You can also attend our online Q&A sessions in November & December 2020 (specific dates to be announced).

For any further questions or clarifications, please feel free to contact us on the following email: [email protected].