Increasingly, the issue of creating, producing, and disseminating contemporary artworks in Africa is being raised and debated within African and international institutions. It is now established that there are talents and high-quality creators in Africa. However, it is also recognized that most young artists increasingly express the need for support in the process of nurturing their creativity and professional development, to facilitate their access to local and international markets.
In terms of professionalization, it has been demonstrated and acknowledged that professionals in the African cultural and creative sector need to strengthen their technical skills in cultural management. It is within this context that the African Cultural Fund (ACF) carries out its missions, with its prioritized strategic axes 1, 2, and 3 being respectively the development of skills, artistic creation and production, and access to international markets. Consequently, the African Cultural Fund (ACF) has established an incubation and support program for young visual artists and cultural managers, centered around five (05) centers of artistic and cultural excellence in the five (05) regions of Africa: North Africa (Tunisia), Central Africa (Cameroon), West Africa (Mali), Southern Africa (South Africa), and East Africa (Seychelles and Kenya), known as ACF-ACADEMY. This is a program aimed at professionalizing and strengthening art professions in Africa.
The pilot phase of the project (2021-2022), lasting for 18 months, brought together 32 young visual artists and cultural managers, with 50% being women, selected through a rigorous and selective procedure to join the program and enhance their technical capabilities, creativity, and competitiveness.
In this context, the African Cultural Fund is launching this call for applications in partnership with the Institut Kôrè des Arts et Métiers (IKAM) and Arterial Network Cameroon, to select 15 young cultural managers from central Africa to participate in the BOOT CAMP #4 of the ACF ACADEMY program, scheduled to take place from August 7th to 12th, 2023, in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Call objectives
This call aims to contribute to the capacity building in cultural management for fifteen (15) young cultural managers from Central Africa (including 8 women and 7 men) through the organization of a BOOT CAMP (capacity building camp) in collaboration with the Institut Kôrè des Arts et Métiers (IKAM) in Ségou and Arterial Network Cameroon, lasting for one week.
The Boot Camps of the ACF ACADEMY Program are certified by the Institut Kôrè des Arts et Métiers (IKAM) in Mali.
Participants will receive a Professional Aptitude Certificate called Kôrè-Qualité upon completing the ACF ACADEMY training, equipping them with the necessary skills for professionalizing their career in the field of Cultural Management. The Kôrè-Qualité Certificate is recognized by the network of IKAM institutions and their partners across all regions of Africa.
Boot camp content #4 | Cultural Management
This is the fourth Boot Camp (capacity building camp) in collaboration with the Institut Kôrè des Arts et Métiers (IKAM) in Ségou and Arterial Network Cameroon, which will offer participants innovative pedagogical content, tailored coaching and mentoring mechanisms focused on specific skills in cultural enterprise management and structuring. The coaching and mentoring will be provided by seasoned professionals from all regions of Africa.
The training sessions of this fourth Boot Camp will last for one week, with coaches and mentors from IKAM guiding the trainees throughout the program.
The following modules will be delivered: Personal Development, Digitalization and Creative Innovation, Financial Management and Fundraising, and Cultural Entrepreneurship Maaya (CEM).
Date and deadline for submitting applications
The submission of applications will take place from June 15th to July 15th, 2023.
Note: The Boot Camp is scheduled to take place from August 7th to August 12th, 2023.
