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TRANSCULTURA CONNECTS – September 2024

The UNESCO EU-funded Transcultura programme publishes a newsletter with a list of opportunities available for young cultural professionals in the Caribbean.
The EU-funded UNESCO Transcultura programme launched a bulletin with a list of career opportunities available for young Caribbean culture professionals.

Get ready to explore opportunities that could change the course of your creative career! The UNESCO programme , funded by the European Union, brings you a new edition of the TRANSCULTURA CONNECTS bulletin. Here you will find calls available1 in the Cultural and Creative Industries in the Caribbean and Europe that will allow you to connect with innovative minds and foster meaningful collaborations in a global environment. Also, don't miss out on the possibility of funding for your projects and accessing research grants. Our goal is to open doors, expand horizons and empower you in your creative career!

[1]The listing is based on a review of publicly available documentation on these opportunities, the terms of which may have changed since their publication. If you find any discrepancies, please write to us at transcultura.programme@unesco.org. The responsibility for the Terms and Conditions of the calls ultimately lies with their direct organizers.

NB: The beneficiary countries of the Transcultura programme are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Domincan Republic, Grenade, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

OPEN OPPORTUNITIES


BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND NETWORKING


 TRANSCULTURA OPPORTUNITY 

➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

Transcultura Business Angels (Online)

The UNESCO EU-funded Transcultura programme offers a ‘Business Angels’ scheme, which consists of a one-to-one business mentorship for young cultural and creative entrepreneurs in the Caribbean. The initiative offers online mentoring services, matching qualified mentors with young cultural professionals to provide career guidance, help with business strategies and how to address specific challenges related to cultural and creative businesses. There is guidance and advice on topics including business planning, networking, marketing, branding, communication and fundraising. Young cultural and creative entrepreneurs will be able to request a one-to-one appointment with a mentor lasting up to an hour.

Deadline: November 2024


🎶&Բ;Live music

A call designed to take your musical work anywhere in the world! Applications are welcome from projects aiming to internationalize musical performances or foster exchanges in creation, composition, research and knowledge. Considering the high cost of international travel, this call is designed to provide financial support for the purchase of air, land or river transportation tickets. Only available to applicants from Cuba, within the scope of the Transcultura programme. 

🔜&Բ;Deadline: 1 October 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

The Culttech Accelerator delivers a high-quality programme for CultTech startups that is focused on their specific (fundraising) needs and that increases their chances of successfully scaling their businesses. They create a global CultTech ecosystem that unites startups, investors and relevant stakeholders including major cultural players. The programme is not only covered by industry experts, but you additionally receive individual mentoring and coaching, and within the community we advise you to make use of the peer-to-peer advice. The programme is fully remote and accessible from anywhere. However, participants will be required to travel to a European destination for a two-day kick-off event and for the Demo Day at the end of the programme.

Deadline: January 2025 


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

Creative Tech Lab is an open collaboration tool that brings together diverse individuals interested in designing the future of the Creative Industries. The CTL supports innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems by getting the right people together (such as artists, technologists, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, influencers and civic leaders) in order to collaborate, experiment and prototype innovative solutions that solve problems faced by the Creative Industries and grow creative enterprises. 

Deadline: N/A


CAPACITY-BUILDING


TRANSCULTURA OPPORTUNITY 

🧳Sustainable tourism

eAcademy of Tourism and Hospitality

The atingi eAcademy Tourism and Hospitality, in collaboration with UNESCO Transcultura,announces the expansion of its course offerings with the launch of the Spanish version of 31 courses on the . This initiative aims to meet the growing demand for quality online education in Latin America and the Caribbean, while furthering atingi’s mission to provide free access to relevant digital learning opportunities across the globe.

Permanently open (MOOCs)


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(Barbados)

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) in Barbados offers a Creative Arts Training programme that provides free online courses for anyone interested in exploring various artistic disciplines. The NCF Training Repository provides free access to all available courses and materials.

Whether you’re a budding artist, a curious learner or you just want to enhance your skills, this platform welcomes you.

Permanently open (MOOCs)


🎶&Բ;Music

If you are a Caribbean music business practitioner operating as a recording or performing artist, songwriter, music producer or music business representative, this course will provide you with a foundational understanding to help prepare your business for entry into international music markets. It is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the music industry with the goal of becoming exporters of music goods and services.

Permanently open (MOOC)


️&Բ;Film

Participants will acquire solid theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical experience as they complete these micro-credential courses. 

Permanently open


🎶&Բ;Music

This call aims to support the artistic and technical specialization and development of all professionals across the Ibero-American music sector. The call is open to instrumentalists, singers, technicians, luthiers and all individuals in the music industry’s value chain who wish to undertake a specialization and development programme. The support is aimed at advanced and expert levels across all areas, techniques, genres and musical styles. Proposals may be submitted for programmes to be undertaken in any country worldwide. This opportunity is available exclusively to applicants from Cuba, within the framework of the Transcultura programme.

🔜&Բ;Deadline: 1 October 2024


RESIDENCIES


⭐&Բ;TRANSCULTURA OPPORTUNITY

🎶&Բ;Music

Transcultura Call for young musicians from the Caribbean to perform in the FiftyLab Festival (Belgium)

Selected young musicians from 17 Caribbean countries will form a new band to perform at the 2024 Fifty Lab Music Festival in Brussels, Belgium, from 13 to 15 November. The UNESCO Transcultura programme, funded by the European Union, will cover travel, accommodation, and other expenses for up to four musicians. This initiative aims to enhance the international exposure of Caribbean musicians and foster artistic exchange with European artists. 

🔜&Բ;Deadline: 27 September 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(Germany)

Each year, Künstlerhaus Lauenburg announces three residency fellowships in the fields of composition, literature and visual arts. Additionally, one fellowship in the field of visual arts is awarded by invitation to a selected artist. Artists of all ages and residences are eligible to apply for the three residency fellowships. Künstlerhaus Lauenburg is distinguished by its personalized support and its efforts to foster connections among the fellowship recipients. It also facilitates networking between the fellows and the cultural communities of the Hamburg metropolitan region and Schleswig-Holstein.

Deadline: 15 October 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(Germany)

The purpose of GEDOK's residency is to support and promote artistic creativity by providing living and working grants to female artists in the fields of fine arts, applied arts, literature and music. These grants offer the opportunity to reside and work in the GEDOK guest studio in Lübeck.

Deadline: 31 October 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(France)

The Art Explora Foundation, in collaboration with the Cité internationale des arts, hosts around twenty residents each year, including artists and researchers from around the world. The programme offers residents the opportunity to conduct research and creative work in the heart of Paris, engaging with the French artistic and professional community. The residents' projects focus on themes of scientific and technological exploration, addressing key social and environmental challenges of our time.

Deadline: 8 November 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(The Netherlands)

The Jan van Eyck Academie annually welcomes approximately 45 participants from around the world. In addition to visual artists, the academy is open to designers — spanning graphic, fashion, food and social design — along with architects, curators and writers. Applications for the 11-month residency, which begins the following year, are accepted from September to December each year.

Deadline: December


🪶&Բ;Poetry 

(Belgium)

La Maison de la poésie d’Amay hosts poets from around the world for stays ranging from two weeks to two months, allowing them to dedicate themselves to a poetic project, whether at its inception or completion.

Permanently open


🎶&Բ;Music 

(Germany)

Funding is available for professional musicians, as well as amateur and emerging musicians and ensembles from developing and transition countries, are invited to participate in music projects in Germany. An invitation and application from collaborators in Germany are prerequisites for funding. The music project must include at least three events, such as concerts, workshops or panels. Applications for funding for music projects abroad must be submitted at least three months before the project start date.

Permanently open


🖼️&Բ;Visual Arts

(Austria)

Since 2002, the MuseumsQuartier's international Artist-in-Residence programme, in cooperation with partners, has annually provided around 60 international artists with the opportunity to live and work in the MuseumsQuartier. This residency allows artists to further develop their artistic projects while immersing themselves in the local art and cultural scene. The objective of the Artist-in-Residence programme is to continually invigorate the art and cultural scene in the Austrian capital by introducing fresh, external influences and fostering exchange through the participation of international artists.

Permanently open


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(Slovenia)

The Art centre offers residencies for foreign artists who would like to stay and work at the Art centre or Artists’ Asylum. During their residency, artists are given the opportunity to engage with the social network of Art centre and local community, research and produce artworks, present their work and build networks with the Slovene arts community. The duration of residencies is not limited and is determined on a project-by-project basis, with ongoing conversations throughout a residency. Residencies to date have lasted from few days up to a year.

Permanently open


COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS


🎶&Բ;Music

The well-established Collaborative Song Creation Contest, where creators from the region compose in creative pairs, will have a new focus this year: it will be specifically focused on songs for children, a field in which Ibero-American music holds significant cultural importance. Recognizing childhood as a time of discovery, wonder and awe of the world, Ibermúsicas, introduces this new contest, offering the opportunity to create lyrics in all the languages of Ibero-American countries, inviting exploration of native languages as well. This opportunity is available exclusively to applicants from Cuba, within the framework of the Transcultura programme.

🔜&Բ;Deadline: 1 October 2024


🎶&Բ;Music 

Encouraging musical creation with absolute creative freedom, Ibermúsicas presents a new edition of its academic composition contests, this time specifically focused on the creation of new choral works, which will be premiered by top national ensembles from Cuba and Venezuela. This opportunity is available exclusively to applicants from Cuba, within the framework of the Transcultura programme.

🔜&Բ;Deadline: 1 October 2024


🎶Music and 📐Design

Creative Industries Fund -  (The Netherlands)

For collaborative projects with pop musicians focusing on innovative, artistic applications of design, image or technology within pop music sector.

Deadline: October 2024


PRESENTING WORK


💻Digital arts

(Croatia)

In 2024, our theme centres on ARCHIVING practices, with a particular emphasis on their pitfalls and failures within DIY New Media Art and Culture. We are now accepting Fauxbar proposals for the festival's ONLINE programme. Submissions may include group meetups, talks, discussions; first-time or new presentations and performances; workshops or collaborations related to glitch art; work-in-progress events, test presentations and more.

🔜Deadline: 30 September 2024


️&Բ;Cinema 

(Spain)

El Humus Film Fest es un festival internacional de cortometrajes de temática ambiental centrado en las piezas audiovisuales que muestren, desde la ficción o la realidad, experiencias de agroecología, huertos urbanos, conexiones entre el campo y la ciudad o nuevas ruralidades. El festival aspira a dar cabida tanto a los creadores más profesionales como a los más amateurs, con el objetivo de ampliar las miradas sobre las conexiones entre estos dos ecosistemas, el campo y la ciudad. Busca historias que cuenten estas relaciones desde el humor, la poesía, el surrealismo o la cotidianidad.

Deadline: 15 October 2024


🪡Textile Art

(Poland)

Baltic Mini Textile Gdynia is organized by Gdynia City Museum every three years and is open to professional artists from Poland and abroad. The competition serves as a showcase of contemporary practices in textile miniatures, created using various techniques. The aim is to select the 50 best works, which will then be presented in a post-competition exhibition at the Gdynia City Museum.

Deadline: 31 October 2024


PROJECT FUNDING


️&Բ;Cinema 

(Croatia)

The Croatian Audiovisual Centre offers funding for fiction, documentary and animation films – both feature-length and short – that originate outside Croatia but involve a Croatian producer as a creative collaborator and minority financial contributor. The films must be structured as official co-productions to qualify for support.

Deadline: 15 October 2024


Cross-disciplinary

(Nordic region)

The initiative is part of a new phase in the fund's Globus programme, which in the years 2024 to 2025 will contribute to creating lasting and sustainable artistic networks and cooperation initiatives with Nordic and global relevance. Overall, the programme seeks to establish a new framework for artistic collaboration in the Nordic region, both geographically and thematically, by offering funding for projects that extend beyond the Nordic countries and engage with other regions around the world. This new phase will strengthen the long-term foundation of the Globus Opstart programme’s mission and potential, while placing greater emphasis on sharing the knowledge that has already been gained. The aim is to provide opportunities to enhance the long-term capacity of international initiatives, while maintaining an awareness of the structural challenges present in the field.

Permanently open


RESEARCH GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS


🎭&Բ;Performing Arts

(Germany)

This scholarship programme provides an opportunity to pursue further education in Germany through postgraduate or continuing studies. Additionally, the scholarships encourage the exchange of experiences and foster networking among peers.

 Deadline: 14 October 2024


‍&Բ;Cultural Management

(France)

Courants du monde is a welcoming programme designed for foreign cultural professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of the French cultural landscape. This programme offers the opportunity for a long-term immersion and professional residency (ranging from one to three months) in France, within administrative or scientific teams of cultural institutions and public communities (Culture Residency). As part of this programme, specific residencies are available to initiate and develop collaborative research on the provenance of certain objects and collections held in France (Collections Pathway).

Deadline: 15 October 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(Italy)

The central mission of the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici is to host artists, authors and researchers, providing them with a supportive environment for their creative and academic pursuits. As beneficiaries of a residence grant, they live and work within its walls for a period ranging from a few weeks to a year, during which they pursue their artistic or research projects. Each year, the French Academy holds an international competition to select Fellows for a 12-month residency at the Villa Medici in Rome. This residency, which runs from September to August, supports creation, experimentation and research. The competition is open to established French-speaking artists, authors and researchers, regardless of nationality. Applications are accepted from all disciplines of literary and artistic creation, arts and crafts, as well as history and theory of the arts or restoration of works of art or monuments.

Deadline: 16 October 2024


🖼️&Բ;Visual Arts

(Denmark)

The Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Visual Arts Project Funding aims to promote contemporary art in Denmark and Danish contemporary art internationally by facilitating interactions between foreign curators and Danish artists. This initiative provides funding for travel and accommodation to support curatorial research for curators, art institution directors and other art professionals, fostering future collaborations and deeper engagement with the Danish contemporary art scene.

Deadline: 25 October 2024


➕&Բ;Cross-disciplinary

(Germany)

This scholarship programme offers you the opportunity to continue your education in Germany with a postgraduate or continuing course of study in the fields Fine Arts, Design, Visual Communication and Film. The scholarships also promote the exchange of experience and networking amongst peers.

Deadline: 11 November 2024


OTHER RESOURCES


91鶹Ʒ published the study Mapping Cultural Policies in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which includes an analysis of policies, instruments, and programmes that contribute to culture as a driver of sustainable development in the Caribbean SIDS.

Download it here (available in English):  


The European network of cultural organizations, On The Move, has just launched the Funding Guide for the International Cultural Mobility of Caribbean Artists and Cultural Professionals. This guide provides information on organizations and programs offering mobility opportunities for creators, artists, and cultural professionals from the Caribbean. It also incorporates research conducted by the Transcultura program for the #TransculturaConecta newsletter.

Download it here (available in English and Spanish):