ARTMOVES AFRICA
MOBILITY OF ARTISTS AND CULTURAL OPERATORS WITHIN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT
ArtMoves Africa (AMA) is an independent non-profit association aiming to facilitate cultural and artistic exchanges within the African continent. AMA offers travel funds to artists, arts professionals and cultural operators living and working in Africa to travel within and between the five African regions in order to engage in the exchange of information, the enhancement of skills, the development of informal networks and the pursuit of cooperation.
Background:
AMA is a project initiated by the Young Arab Theatre Fund (YATF) together with a group of African and Arab organizations to facilitate and encourage the mobility of artists and cultural operators within the African continent. In 2001, YATF participated in meetings in Egypt, Kenya and Zimbabwe, together with different organization and cultural activists from Africa and the Arab world. The meetings aimed at linking organizations and individuals, and creating informal continent-wide networks. The participants agreed that one of the major obstacles for artists and cultural professionals in Africa was the persistent lack of funds specifically allocated to support travel.
Objectives:
Facilitate cultural exchanges in Africa for individual artists and cultural operators, and cultural organizations
Encourage artists and cultural operators to exchange experiences, information and ideas towards shared projects and artistic collaborations
Give artists and cultural operators the opportunity to gain a better knowledge of the context and the cultural environment in the different regions
Encourage independent initiatives and small projects by giving artists and cultural operators the opportunity to meet with their counterparts and partners
Give artists and cultural operators the opportunity to attend festivals in order to see each other’s work to enrich their own creativity
Give artists and cultural operators the opportunity to enhance their artistic or technical skills in participating in highly professional artistic and arts management workshops, seminars and residencies for artists
Encourage the mobility of artists and cultural professionals as well as the mobility of information.
Geographical area of focus:
ArtMoves Africa supports all artists and cultural operators living and working in Africa for travels within and between the African regions. These regions are
Central Africa: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Congo Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principé
East Africa : Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara + neighboring Arabic speaking countries*
* Links between North Africa and neighboring Arabic speaking countries extend beyond shared histories, religion, language and culture. For this reason the Fund believes it vital to include these countries as part of its North Africa regional programming.
Legal Status:
For the first year, AMA will be functioning as one of the programs of the YATF, but with an independent selection committee and coordinator. By the end of 2005 ArtMoves Africa shall be registered as an independent international association in Africa.
More information:
Khadija El Bennaoui
Young Arab Theatre Fund a.i.s.b.l.
19 Square Sainctelette, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel + Fax: +32 2 2031295
www.yatfund.org