Deadline: 27 January 2017
The U.S. Department of State (DOS), Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy (NEA/PPD), in consultation with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), announces an open competition for support to the FY-17 Middle East Media Initiative.
The goal of the activity is to support trainings and creative collaborations between TV, media and digital professionals in the U.S. and the Middle East to engage the imaginations of viewers in the Middle East, especially young people, to highlight the vision of a modern, pluralist future.
Funding Information
- Approximate Total Funding: $1,500,000, pending availability of funds
- Anticipated Award Date: February 1, 2017
- Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2020
Focus Activities
- Workshops: A series of workshops for regional participants in professional TV and new media skills that may include television screenwriting and producing workshops in the United States for regional professional screenwriters and producers, covering scripted series in children’s TV, drama, comedy and other genres with an impact focus. The workshops would be project based and result in overarching show plans that outline characters, future episodes and seasonal story arcs and pilot programs ready for production;
- Transmedia workshops focused on engaging television audiences across media platforms including short digital form, games and/interactive media that reach new and younger audiences.
- Shadowing: Professional internship (or fellowship) programs in the U.S. for regional professionals in television and new media that will expose participants to leading-edge, practical professional and technical skills in writing and producing of content on traditional and digital platforms. (20%)
- Mentoring: Supporting an extended mentoring program that will match creative media writers and producers from the United States with Middle East professionals and their projects. U.S. volunteer mentors will agree to have in country sessions and continuing Skype meetings and to provide project notes for regional writers and producers.
- Supporting Middle East audience research: Working directly or with a partner to research overall TV and online media landscape and on the collection existing audience segmentation data and identifying the need for new research that can enhance the regional industry’s ability to effectively program to local tastes and to effectively respond to issues, as well as measure impact.
- U.S. experts/specialists: Engage U.S. experts and specialists in key areas, identified by the State Department, for professional trips to work with regional counterparts in programs that will offer training and advice on amplifying new content and equally how to engage publics around issues and campaigns on key themes.
- Creative Dialogues: Support regional participants in ongoing professional networking and attendance at annual dialogues.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications may be submitted by U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
How to Apply
Interested applicants can access their application package via given website.
Eligible Countries: United States, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
For more information, please visit 2017 Middle East Media Initiative.