Organizer Information
The Goethe-Institut is Germany’s internationally active cultural institute, working to promote cultural exchange, international cooperation, and intercultural dialogue. This open call is part of the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture (AEPC): Southern Africa project, funded by the European Union. The programme focuses on strengthening cultural cooperation within Southern Africa and between Southern Africa and Europe through collaborative artistic production and new interpretations of cultural heritage.
The programme will establish 11 Heritage Narrative Clusters, each led by a selected heritage organisation. Approximately nine artists or creative practitioners will join each cluster, with participants drawn from at least three of the six eligible Southern African countries.
Title & Description
GRANTS FOR CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC PRACTITIONERS
Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture: Southern Africa – Heritage Narrative Grants invites professional artists and creative practitioners to collaborate across disciplines and countries on the contemporary reinterpretation of Southern African cultural heritage.
Selected participants will join a six-month Heritage Narrative development phase and work collaboratively with a heritage organisation and other artists to create three co-produced artistic works. Depending on the cluster, outputs may include films, theatre and dance productions, exhibitions, photography, animation, digital installations, publications, music, craft, storytelling, or other interdisciplinary works.
Artists may apply to up to three Heritage Narrative Clusters, although each selected applicant will participate in only one. The specific artistic profiles, heritage themes, and intended productions vary between clusters.
The projects address themes including indigenous knowledge, cultural identity, memory, oral traditions, migration, gender, environmental knowledge, intergenerational exchange, community histories, and cultural continuity.
Categories
- Performing Arts
- Visual Arts and Design
- Film
- Media and Digital Arts
- Literary and Narrative Arts
- Cultural Curation and Heritage Practice
Eligibility
- Be an individual artist or creative practitioner.
- Be legally residing and working in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe.
- Be 18 or older at the time of application.
- Have at least three years of professional artistic or creative practice, demonstrated through a CV, portfolio, biography, and artist statement.
- Have experience or demonstrated potential relevant to cultural, social, or heritage-related narratives.
- Be willing and able to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary, international group.
- Be available for the required travel, working sessions, online collaboration, and public presentations.
Applicants who are Goethe-Institut or relevant Heritage Organisation staff or their immediate family members are excluded, as are individuals or entities subject to EU restrictive measures.
Program Benefits & Awards
Each selected artist receives a €6,000 grant for participation during the six-month project period, subject to active participation and reporting requirements.
The programme additionally covers eligible travel costs, accommodation, and per diems according to Goethe-Institut policies. Heritage Organisations cover the co-production and presentation costs associated with the cluster activities.
Participants are expected to attend a one-week narrative retreat, two joint project working sessions, online collaboration throughout the six-month development period, and two public presentation events.
Additional confidential support may be available for family responsibilities and disability/accessibility requirements, subject to individual assessment and justification.
The resulting works will be presented at a local festival in the country of the Heritage Organisation and at a one-week regional presentation festival in one of the six participating countries.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Enquiries deadline: 28 September 2026
- Application deadline: 5 October 2026
- Evaluation and selection: 6–30 October 2026
- Notification and contracting: From 2 November 2026
- Programme development period: Six months
- Information session: Online via Zoom; date and access details to be announced through Goethe-Institut social media channels.
Location
Germany
Additional Details
The call contains 11 distinct Heritage Narrative Clusters, each with its own theme and requested artistic profiles. Applicants should therefore review the individual cluster descriptions carefully before applying.
Examples include indigenous pipe traditions in Southern Africa; siSwati heritage explored through animation, documentary and visual art; craft and material heritage; Swazi photography, theatre, dance and music; Basotho heritage and peacebuilding; Botswana craft traditions; Khoi-San living heritage; indigenous seed heritage in Zimbabwe; and youth-oriented approaches to ecological and cultural heritage.
Selection is based on relevance (30%), quality (30%), feasibility (20%), and impact (20%), alongside considerations of gender equality, inclusion, geographical diversity, and artistic diversity within each cluster.