Solidarity Fund for Arts and Culture Structures in Lebanon

Description

1) Objective

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and Culture Resource launch a Solidarity Fund to support Arts and Culture Structures in Lebanon. The two regional organizations embark on their first collaboration to try and address some of the pressing needs facing the arts and culture sector in Lebanon, at a time when the country is in the throes of social and political upheaval due to nation-wide economic collapse that is having serious repercussions on daily life.

The Solidarity Fund seeks to extend a one-time un-earmarked institutional grant to affected organizations in Lebanon, and to offer the time they need to adjust to a rapidly changing environment. Envisioned to support the operations over a one-year period, and to respond to the challenges brought up during the exchanges, the grant will be tailored to the needs of individual organizations providing them with some means to:

• Retain their core teams in a way that allows them to think and reflect together on their mandates, operations, activities, and future;
  Keep their spaces/venues;
• Seek consultancies (legal, artistic, technical, and the like) if needed to reimagine their models and to be inspired by other experiences;
  Explore collaborative options with peer institutions to maximize use of space, share costs, and benefit from combined audiences and cross-discipline programming; and
• Relocate some of their activities and create regional partnerships that allow them to continue to do their work.

2) Eligibility

Any registered or unregistered institutional or cooperative structure working in the field of culture and arts in any region of Lebanon and in any artistic or cultural field can apply to the Solidarity Fund.

3) Location

Actions must take place in Lebanon.

4) Budget

This support scheme of maximum USD 80,000 per organization will benefit up to 16 active arts and culture structures based in Lebanon from diverse practices, disciplines, and missions, and with clear links to community participation programs. The profile of these structures may include – but is not limited to- those engaged in grant-making, cultural and artistic production and activities, capacity building, organizing festivals, and building knowledge and archives.

5) Application

Deadline to submit the “Letter of Interest” and Supporting Documents is 15 June 2020 before midnight Beirut time.