Roma Cultural Program

The Arts and Culture Network Program (ACNP) makes grants to individuals and organizations to support projects that draw on the power of culture, in particular artistic and expressive culture, to help build and maintain open societies. Grants are awarded in three program areas:

1. Enhancing Collaborative Practices

• Professional Development
• Collaborative Artistic Production

2. Developing Public Cultural Spaces

• Capacity-Building
• Public Cultural Events

3. Roma Cultural Program

• Professional Development
• Individual or Collaborative Artistic Production
• Capacity-Building
• Public Cultural Events

Eligibility

Enhancing Collaborative Practices and Developing Public Cultural Spaces support projects that include activities in one or more of the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The Roma Cultural Program supports projects that include activities in one or more of the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Preference will be given to applicants based in these countries, although partners or collaborators in other countries may be included as participants in grant-supported activities.

Former grantees of the Arts and Culture Network Program may apply to any program on the condition that a final report from the previous grant period has been submitted and approved.

Project Budget

For applicants from all eligible countries except Turkey, aggregate funding from ACNP and all other Soros Foundation/OSI entities should not exceed 75% of the total project budget. For applicants from Turkey, funding from ACNP and all other Soros Foundation/OSI entities should not exceed 33% of the total project budget. In-kind contributions may be included as a percentage of the total project budget.

Notification

Applications will be reviewed approximately every two months, and applicants will be notified of ACNP’s funding decision within one month of review. Applicants will be advised of the anticipated notification date upon submission of an application.

Contact Information

For additional information about Enhancing Collaborative Practices and Developing Public Cultural Spaces, please contact Rita Bakradze at rbakradze@osi.hu or at +3613273100 extension 2182.

For additional information about the Roma Cultural Program, please contact Eniko Soos at esoos@osi.huor at +3613273100 extension 2478.

Program Descriptions

Enhancing Collaborative Practices

Professional Development Grants (up to $10,000)
Professional development grants provide opportunities for professionals working in any domain of cultural management, cultural policy, or artistic production to expand their knowledge and skills through a project or production involving travel. Funds may be requested for participation in conferences, seminars, courses, and training workshops as well as curatorial research, cultural documentation, and other forms of research and development leading to the production of artistic work. Applicants should clearly explain how the proposed project will advance their professional development.

Eligible expenses include travel, conference/seminar/course fees, and modest living expenses for the duration of the stay indicated in the application. Funding may not be used to pay salaries or purchase equipment. While ACNP’s contribution cannot exceed $10,000 per application, no limit applies to the duration or destination of travel. Applicants should furnish a letter of intent from the inviting organization or collaborating partner confirming arrangements specified by the applicant.

Grants for Collaborative Artistic Production (up to $25,000)
Grants for collaborative artistic production aim to stimulate creative work characterized by a sophisticated critical or reflexive sensibility and high level of craft. This category is open to all forms of artistic creation, for example music, visual arts, multimedia, theater, film, radio, puppetry, animated film, cartoons. Collaborative activities may involve artists in different nations, regions, and communities, or artists working in different media or disciplines. Preference will be given to projects with a long-term trajectory that hold the promise of making a strong social impact.

Developing Cultural Spaces

Capacity-Building Grants (up to $25,000)
Grants are offered for up to three years, renewable annually, to build the capacity of autonomous cultural spaces. Priority is given to projects that support institutional development, for example by building audiences, reaching out to underrepresented groups, strengthening governance, or developing management skills.

Applicants should include a 3-year strategic plan that describes how they plan to build their organization, as well as a narrative and financial report about the organization’s activities in the year preceding submission of the application. Applicants will also be expected to provide up-to-date business information about the organization, including number of employees, annual budget, partnerships, sources of income, and a copy of the official registration document.

Grants for Public Cultural Events (up to $10,000)
Funding is available for public events that may take the form of festivals, performances, series of public forums, lectures, debates, and other kinds of public engagement. Research that contributes to such events is also eligible for funding.

Priority is given to public cultural events that are part of a continuing program or project, and that have the potential for long-term impact. Applications should explain the rationale of the proposed event or research, and provide a detailed description of the implementation strategy and follow-up plan. Proposals should clearly identify the event’s target audience, and describe how the project’s organizers envision reaching and engaging them.

Roma Cultural Program

The Roma Cultural Program accepts proposals from self-identified Roma individuals and organizations as well as proposals from non-Roma-identified individuals and organizations whose professional work engages Roma culture through music, visual arts, theater, film, radio, puppetry, animated film, cartoons, or other artistic media. Applications may be submitted for the four program areas described above (Enhancing Collaborative Practices: Professional Development Grants, Grants for Collaborative Artistic Production; Developing Public Cultural Spaces: Capacity-Building Grants, Grants for Public Cultural Events), as well as for the following program area available only under the Roma Cultural Program:

Grants for Artistic Production (up to $10,000)
The Roma Cultural Program supports projects submitted by artists who self-identify as Roma, as well as projects submitted by non-Roma artists who engage Roma culture through music, visual arts, theater, film, radio, puppetry, animated film, cartoons, or other artistic media.

How to Apply

• A single application form may be used to apply to all ACNP grant programs. This form is available below. The application form may only be used to apply to a single grant program. Applicants who wish to apply to more than one program should complete a separate application form for each program.
• The application form should preferably be completed in English, however forms completed in Russian will also be accepted. The application summary sheet, which serves as the cover page of the application, must be completed in English. Please use 12-point print size in Times New Roman font. Please limit total length of application form to 5 A4-size pages.
• If the proposed project includes a collaborative aspect, applicants must submit a letter from the proposed collaborator or partner confirming the arrangement described by the applicant.
• Please submit completed application forms via Email to OSI’s national Arts and Culture Coordinator (addresses below) if you are applying from one of the following countries:
  
  Afghanistan: Nilofar Sakhi – nsakhi@gmail.com
  Armenia: Laura Gevorgyan – Laura@osi.am
  Azerbaijan: Jahangir Selimkhanov – jselimkhanov@osi-az.org
  Georgia: Helene Nakashidze – helen@osgf.ge
  Kazakhstan: Margarita Amvrosova – rita@itte.kz
  Kyrgyzstan: Nazira Turarova – nazira@soros.kg
  Mongolia: Ariunaa Tserenpil – artscouncil@magicnet.mn
  Tajikistan: Gulandom Nabieva – gulandomn@libosi.tajik.net
  Turkey: Gökçe Tuyluoglu – gtuyluoglu@osiaf.org.tr
  
  
• If you are applying from Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan, please submit your applications to Rita Bakradze at rbakradze@osi.hu.
• If you are applying to the Roma Cultural Program, please submit your application to Eniko Soos at esoos@osi.hu.
• Biographies of principal project personnel should be submitted as an appendix to the application form.
• Please note that incomplete applications (that is, applications missing one or more of the required components) will not be considered for funding.

Note: Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the relevant OSI national foundation as well as by an independent expert whose recommendations will be submitted to the Arts and Culture Sub-Board. Funding decisions will be made within three months of the date on which ACNP confirms receipt of an application. All applicants will receive individual notification of the funding decision concerning their application.

Need Help with Your Application?

ACNP is pleased announce the launch of a new mentoring program which aims to help applicants improve the quality of their applications. In the pilot stage the mentoring program is available in six ACNP target countries: Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Turkey. Mentors can help you with the following:

• Understanding the application form and application process.
• Structuring your ideas and developing a clear project concept.
• Developing a feasible and well-written project proposal.
• Drafting a realistic, clear and sufficiently detailed budget.
• Creating a realistic action plan.
• Provide advice on potential partners in your country and other ACNP target countries.
• Provide advice on other potential funding sources.
• Provide advice concerning the realization of the project prior to or during its implementation.

The mentoring service is free of charge and can be carried out by Email, phone, or personal appointment. For more details, please contact the mentors in your respective country:

Georgia
TRAM FOUNDATION
Contact person: Ana Riaboshenko
20 Griboedov street, Suite 56,
Tbilisi, 0108, Georgia
Web-address: www.tram.ge
Phone: +995 (32) 995359
Email: tram@tram.ge
ariaboshenko@tram.ge

Kazakhstan
MARGARITA AMVROSOVA
Tengri Umai Gallery
103 Panfilov Street
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Phone: +7 327 273 5766
+7 327 258 11 52
Email: rita@itte.kz

Kyrgyzstan
JILDIZ KUDAIBERGEN
40 Tabyshaliev str., apt# 17,
Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Phone: +996 550 800 817
Email: jil.kudaibergen@gmail.com

and

AALAMGUL UMURALIEVA
Suvanberdiev str. 84|1, Bishkek,
Kyrgyz Republic
Phone: +996 (312) 665424, 66-56-81
Email: bgdt@elcat.kg, aalamumur@mail.ru

Mongolia
ARTS COUNCIL OF MONGOLIA
Contact person: Nomintuya Baasankhuu
Delta Centre 4th floor, Juulcin Street
Ulanbaatar Ch. 46Mongolia
Phone: (976)-99898918
Email: nomi_mn@yahoo.com
marketing@artscouncil.mn

Tajikistan
ZULPHIYA SHARIPOVA
6"A" Nekrasova Street
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Phone: +992 (37) 228 94 53
+992 918 61 23 12
Email: zulphiya76@mail.ru

and

BACTRIA CULTURAL CENTRE
Contact person: Faruh Kuziev
Tajikistan, 7340043 Dushanbe
Guissar 34, apt 36
Tel: +992 918 66 75 62
Email: faruh.kuziev@acted.org

Turkey
ESRA A. AYSUN
Galerist
Istiklal cad. Misir apt.
311/4 Beyoglu, Istanbul - Turkey
Phone: +90 212 244 8230
Email: esraaysun@galerist.com.tr
www.galerist.com.tr

and

H. AYCA INCE
Santralistanbul
Istanbul Bilgi University
Kazim Karabekir Cad.
No: 1. E-4/ 201 34060
Sutluce, Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: + 90 (212) 311 7583
Email: inceayca@gmail.com