The launch of the Cultural Fund in May this year by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Malawi which has entrusted Hivos Foundation to administer and monitor its implementation excited the creative industry.
However, a call for proposals for the fund released in The Nation of July 20 indicates that the fund is targeting youth organisations with a particular focus on theatre.
The development has since not gone down well with some of the captains in the creative industry, who have said the move is not healthy for the arts in the country.
With the Cultural Support Scheme spearheaded by Royal Norwegian Embassy and administered by Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) ending in December this year, many arts associations were banking their hopes on the Cultural Fund.
“We have gone through the call for proposals advert for the Cultural Fund and my assumption was that it was open to all arts associations but it is not. This to me is very unfair because with the Cultural Support Scheme coming to an end, arts associations have nowhere to get funding so the Cultural Fund was their only hope,” said one of the artists.
According to the brief project description for the Cultural Fund, the fund will run during the planned period from December 2015 to December 2018 and it stands on the notion that freedom of expression, cultural rights and participation of cultural practitioners in democratic processes and other arenas that facilitate critical debate are essential if people are to form their opinions and become engaged in any genuine democratic development.
The long term desired goal of the project is to strengthen the cultural sector in the country so that it becomes a formidable change.
The information further says that the project will facilitate the creation of space for expression and artistic freedom through innovative ways in the theatre industry and that due to limited resources available, only a few organisations or theatre groups will be selected with funding ceilings up to 35,000 Euros.
The project said it recognises that there are many strands to arts and culture, however, this call for proposals is targeting youth related theatre organisations or organisations working with youth to promote freedom of expression through theatre.
Film Association of Malawi President Ezaius Mkandawire said they feel that there is a big oversight if the fund only wants to focus on theatre.
“The call also to advance issues pertaining to freedom of expression. However, we wonder if such an objective can be met when the majority has been left out,” said Mkandawire.
He added that by design a Cultural Fund should embrace the whole industry and not just a single discipline.
“As a creative industry we will engage those running the Cultural Fund to change the concept. At least if they wanted theatre to be in the limelight, they could just have put up more money with other arts fields given smaller amounts,” said the Fama boss, who is also a Cosoma board member.
Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) President Sambalikagwa Mvona said recently that many arts associations are struggling because of donor fatigue and that they need to come up with ways on how they can generate funds for their different projects.
Efforts to get a comment from Coordinator of the Cultural Fund project in Malawi Baldwin Chiyamwaka proved futile on Sunday.
Meanwhile the submission of application for the small grants closed on Friday.
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