Deadline: 31-Jan-23
The Public Diplomacy (PD) section at the U.S. Embassy Zimbabwe under the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for applications to enhance the scope, reach and cultural diversity of Zimbabwean arts festivals and awards ceremonies.
The PD section invites proposals from registered festivals and awards organizations across Zimbabwe to design and implement exchanges that facilitate creative and cultural collaboration between Zimbabwean and American artists, arts institutions, and audiences. The program should empower Zimbabwean festivals and/or awards organizations to build connections with U.S. counterparts while strengthening festival administration and awards events. This program will expand opportunities to promote diversity of cultural expression; develop festivals’ and/or awards organizations’ institutional capacity and competitiveness.
Theory of Change
- If the Zimbabwean creative community builds networks with U.S. creative enterprises, and equips practitioners with skills and knowledge, they would be better positioned to build a professional and financially sustainable creative industry. This program supports the U.S. Department of State’s Public Diplomacy efforts to build a more stable, inclusive economy for the Zimbabwe creative industry.
- This program supports the U.S. Department of State’s Public Diplomacy efforts to build a more stable, inclusive economy for Zimbabwe’s creative industries.
Objectives
- All proposals must meet the following objectives:
- Participation of American artists, art directors, managers, or arts groups to perform and provide technical support at local festivals or awards events and engage in community activities that promote enhanced cultural understanding between Zimbabwean and U.S. audiences.
- Enhance the development of Zimbabwe’s arts, culture, and heritage festivals or awards events in terms of cultural diversity, inclusion, and professionalism.
- Build collaboration and networks between Zimbabwe and U.S. artists and creative enterprises, with an emphasis on long-term relationships and sustainability.
- Partnerships should facilitate creation of festival or awards events content that attracts and retains significant and diverse audiences in an equitable manner between Zimbabwe and the United States.
- Proposals can also include the following deliverables:
- Equip festival managers and arts administrators with skills and knowledge to build sustainable festivals or awards, champion cultural exchanges, and contribute to enhanced professionalization of the festivals network in Zimbabwe.
- Safeguard and celebrate cultural heritage, identity, and diversity. The PD Section encourages festival activities and awards events that profile and promote defined elements of Zimbabwean and American communities’ cultural expression.
- Projects should contribute to the sustainability of local level creative economies and increased citizen participation in their communities.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 12-18 months from date of award.
- Number of awards anticipated: 5+ awards
- Award amounts: $5,000 – 10,000
- Total available funding: $50,000
- Type of Funding: 2023 Public Diplomacy Funds – Smith-Mundt
Participants and Audiences: Proposals must engage with Zimbabwean festivals and/or award events as well as audiences. Programs can promote inclusivity by targeting women, youth, people living with disabilities, and rural communities.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicants: The following organizations are eligible to apply: Zimbabwean or U.S. media organizations, civil society, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
- For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344312