Arab Fund for Arts and Culture AFAC

Implanté depuis 2007

Particularités du PTF : Partenaire Financier mécanisme d'appui supporté: Appel à candidatures mécanisme d'appui supporté: Candidature libre Programme

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) was established in 2007 by local cultural lobbyists as an independent initiative that funds individuals and organizations in the fields of cinema, performing arts, literature, music and visual arts while facilitating cultural exchange, research and cooperation across the Arab world and globally.

The measurable impact of AFAC’s work ranges from Arab filmmakers screening their films at international film festivals; to translations of foreign contemporary literature into Arabic, distributed for free on the Internet; to archives that collect, document and preserve images of daily life during better times, in conflict-torn countries like Lebanon and Iraq; to workshops that teach children to weave stories through puppetry and animation; to sharing contemporary narratives from the region with the global public.

Our grantees’ work has been reviewed in the local and international press; they have been invited to participate in high-profile festivals, artist exchanges and residencies, and have, in turn, inspired hundreds of others to pursue artistic endeavors through workshops and trainings. Despite these successes and a measure of international recognition, AFAC awardees have overwhelmingly continued to work within the region and focus their cultural production on a local context.

Mission

Vision & Objectives
AFAC envisions a thriving Arab art and cultural scene, one that is confident in its expression, open to dialogue, accessible to all and sustained locally by committed patrons. Two fundamental principles guide AFAC’s mode of work: transparency in the grant giving process and independence through a diversity of funding sources.

Our objectives vis-à-vis creative communities are:

To increase and enhance contemporary art and culture production and research;
To support capacity-building and training in the cultural sector;
To perpetuate cultural exchange and collaboration across the region and globally;
To deliver a sustainable source of funding for outstanding and meaningful cultural work;
To identify and develop distribution channels for Arab cultural production in the region and beyond.

Our objectives vis-à-vis audiences are:

To cultivate appreciation and engagement with contemporary art and culture among the wider Arab publics;
To encourage patronage and philanthropy towards arts and culture activities with individuals, corporations and foundations;

Our objectives vis-à-vis the public sector:

To advocate for fair, transparent and accountable access to resources to the artistic communities;
To reduce barriers to public participation in arts and culture;
To encourage investments in the arts through tax revenues, public and private investment, and entrepreneurial business practices.