Pretoria: News Desk – Anita Bosman
EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture – have launched Spaces of Culture 2025, a call for proposals, supporting seven new cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme is an evolution of the European Spaces of Culture programme and prioritises collaboration, dialogue, and mutual learning between European and local partners.
Spaces of Culture is part of the wider Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture programme from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), which aims to encourage cooperation between African and European artists, creators, and cultural professionals.
The call aims to support cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan African countries, based on equal partnerships and local ownership, involving local cultural and civil society stakeholders, EUNIC members, and EU Delegations.
The deadline for submission for project proposals is 8 June 2025
Applicants can request up to EUR 50,000. Co-funding of at least 5% of the requested grant amount is required from project partners or third parties (excluding EU Delegations). Selected projects will take place from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2026.
The call also aims to broaden the range of local organisations collaborating with European counterparts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Project proposals must, therefore, involve a minimum of three full EUNIC members, three key local cultural and/or civil society partners, and the EU Delegation(s) in the country(ies).
Projects should embody the principles of cultural relations and go beyond the promotion of European culture(s) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Project activities should demonstrate a deeper understanding of these principles by practising mutual listening and learning, engaging in dialogue, co-creation, and joint capacity building with all members and partners involved.
The call encourages contemporary and innovative formats, related to the arts, creative industries, digitalisation, education, gender, heritage, human rights, social inclusion, sports, sustainability, tourism, youth, and more. Projects may also foster spaces of free speech and artistic expression, particularly in fragile contexts.
An Independent jury of four experts from Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe with thorough knowledge of and experience in Africa-Europe cultural relations will collectively evaluate proposals against the selection criteria.
For enquiries about the programme, the call or application process, or about EUNIC, please contact:
Robert Kieft at robert.kieft@eunicglobal.eu
Thoriso Moseneke at thoriso.moseneke@eunicglobal.eu
