Caribbean Creative Opportunities

UNESCO has announced the launching of a ‘Business Angels’ scheme, a one-to-one business mentorship programme for young cultural and creative entrepreneurs in the Caribbean. This initiative is part of the programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union, open from March to November 2024, which aims to create career opportunities for youth in the cultural and creative industries in the Caribbean. 

The scheme will be open to culture professionals aged between 18 and 35 from the beneficiary countries of the Transcultura programme: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenade, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It will offer online mentoring services, matching qualified mentors with young cultural professionals to provide career orientation, help with business strategies, and address specific challenges related to cultural and creative businesses.

Topics for counseling include business planning, networking, marketing, branding, communication, and fundraising. Young cultural and creative entrepreneurs will be able to request an individual appointment with a mentor for a session of up to one hour, with a maximum of four appointments over the duration of the ‘Business Angels’ scheme (from March to October 2024). 

Click this link to register!

The programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, implemented by UNESCO and funded by the European Union, has announced a call for 24 scholarships aimed at young Caribbean culture professionals. The scholarships will enable participation in face-to-face courses at the International Film and Television School of San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. This institution is a member of the Caribbean Cultural Training Hub, created by the Transcultura programme to boost the professionalization of the cultural and creative sectors in the region.

The courses offered in this call cover topics relating to the audiovisual and interactive media sphere and more specifically, sound editing. The courses will last 2 weeks (60 teaching hours in double sessions) from 17 to 28 June 2024. The courses will be taught in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation into English and French. Applications can be sent until Monday 8 April 2024 at 23:59 hours Havana time (GMT-5).

Click this link to apply!

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 asks entrants to consider how they deal with adversity, and how community and culture can be used to encourage resilience and hope in a world with a growing number of global issues.  Writers should be between 14-18 years old for the senior category, and under 14 for the junior category. Deadline for submissions is May 15, 2024.

See application link here!

Blessings in abundance!

Geo Lyrical: ‘Resurgence’ EP

Artiste Geo Lyrical released his second EP, ‘Resurgence’, earlier this year. Featuring credited work by Blak Yaad Productions, Nyze Boxx Music, Iconix Beatz and Frankie Music, the EP encompasses the present state of the musical prowess of Geo Lyrical. The EP was executively produced by 1 Duss Records, with the EP cover designed by Joel Designz.

The ability to put pain into art is a tool being developed by many talents, and Geo Lyrical has has honed his skills into a collection of songs that provoke thought, reflection, meditation and self-regulation. Songs like “Weh Me Heart Gone (W.M.H.G)”, “Light”, “Nothing Nuh Change” and “Last Cry” spoke to me especially. The riddims may have been slightly monotonous in terms of a trap dancehall feel, but for the themes covered in the lyrics, it seemed a fitting choice.

In 2024, we have become more acquainted with opening up about our pains and hurts. Covering them rarely increases the health of the individual; rather, it contributes to a number of incorrect thought processes that complicate the issues. Music is a great medium for airing one’s thoughts as it enhances the understanding and accountability of the individual involved, and ‘Resurgence’ is a perfect example of this.

To follow Geo Lyrical and access his work, please see the accompanying links:

Instagram

YouTube

Blessings in abundance!

Transcultura Connect: Opportunities

The UNESCO EU-funded Transcultura programme publishes a newsletter with a list of opportunities available for young cultural professionals in the Caribbean.   Get ready to explore opportunities that could change the course of your creative career! The UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union, brings you a new edition of the TRANSCULTURA CONNECTS bulletin. Here you will find calls available1 in the field of the Cultural and Creative Industries in the Caribbean and Europe that will allow you to connect with innovative minds and foster meaningful collaborations in a global environment. Also, don’t miss out on the possibility of funding for your projects and accessing research grants. Our goal is to open doors, expand horizons and empower you in your creative career!

[1]The listing is based on a review of publicly available documentation on these opportunities, the terms of which may have changed since their publication. If you find any discrepancies, please write to us at transcultura.programme@unesco.org. Responsibility for the Terms and Conditions of the calls is the ultimate responsibility of their direct organisers.   NB: The beneficiary countries of the Transcultura programme are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Domincan Republic, Grenade, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

OPEN OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND NETWORKING

Cross-disciplinary Culttech accelerator programme Austria   Culttech Accelerator delivers a high-quality programme for CultTech startups that is focused on their specific (fundraising) needs and that increases their chances of successfully scaling up their businesses. They create a global CultTech ecosystem that unites startups, investors and relevant stakeholders, including major cultural players. The programme is not only covered by industry experts, but you additionally receive individual mentoring and coaching, and within the community. It’s a great opportunity to make use of the peer-to-peer advice.   Deadline: 29 February 2024

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS

Fine arts BBA Artist Prize Germany   Anyone can apply with no restrictions based on age, training or nationality. Up to 5 artworks may be submitted. BBA Artist Prize looks for visual excellence, storytelling, conceptual thinking, technical craftsmanship, subject depth and understanding.   Deadline: 19 February 2024

Literature XXIV Literature Contest “Miguel Artigas” Spain   Miguel Artigas” Literature Contest aims to promote the creation, conservation, adaptation and dissemination of tales, legends and narrations of popular tradition. The theme of the originals is free, as is their geographical location, whether national or international. The only condition is that they must be set in the rural world (only in Spanish).   Deadline: 29 February 2024

TRANSCULTURA OPPORTUNITY  Fashion #MadeInTheCaribbean – Transcultura Fashion Design Competition   With the ambition of connecting creativity beyond Caribbean boundaries, the UNESCO Transcultura programme has launched the Transcultura Fashion Design Competition. The competition, under the theme #MadeInTheCaribbean, challenges fashion designers to present a contemporary, fashion-forward mini collection (of 3 to 5 pieces). The collection must represent Caribbean identity, the cultural diversity of the region, its cultural and artistic expressions, its exchanges and mutual influences and/or evoke the Caribbean’s common cultural traits. Entries can be submitted in three categories: fashion design, accessories and jewellery.   Deadline: 29 February 2024

Audiovisual and interactive media Prix Ars Electronica Austria   The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the world’s most time-honoured media arts competitions. Winners are eligible for up to five different awards (such as the Ars Electronica Award for Digital Humanity) and monetary prizes of up to €10,000 in each category. They are also featured at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.   Deadline: 1 March 2024

Music Música Viva International – Electroacoustic Composition Competition Portugal   The competition is open to composers of any nationality and age, each of whom may submit only one piece of work, which has not been commercially published or has not been awarded a prize in any other national or international competition.   Deadline: 31 March 2024

PRESENTING WORK

Photography Belfast Photo Festival Ireland   Submissions must be photographic or lens-based but can include incorporations of other art forms with the photographic medium (such as performance, painting, sculpture, music, literature and more). Individuals and collectives are welcome to apply.   Deadline: 23 February 2024

Music Festival Fiesta del Tambor ‘Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam’ Cuba   The Festival Fiesta del Tambor Organizing Committee, the National Centre for Popular Music, the Havana Province of Culture, the Ministry of Culture and the Sabian/Gon Bops Company are calling for the International Competition ‘Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam’ as part of the twenty-first edition of the event. The competition will feature specialties in percussion, including drums, congas and timbales. In the dance category, there will be competitions in Casino (couples) and Rumba (pairs and individuals), with multiple prizes awarded in both categories. The elimination rounds will take place on 5 and 6 March 2024. Interested participants from other countries can register through the Paradiso Agency, with a registration fee of €25 or US$25.   Deadline: 24 February 2024

Theatre Kyber Teatro Italy   LMDP Festival aims to promote the interrelation between artistic and technological languages. Eligible projects are 1) theatre and new technologies plays and 2) art and new technologies performances. The winners of the Open Call have the full coverage of the costs for mobility (flight travels, board and accommodation in Cagliari) and an ‘attendance fee’ for the presentation of their performance for two evenings guaranteed.   Deadline: 2 April 2024

Film Festival Internacional de Cine GIC Gibara Cuba   The Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), the Government of Holguín and the Government of Gibara call for participation in the eighteenth Gibara International Film Festival (FICGibara), to be held from 6 to 10 August 2024. The Festival will take place in Gibara, the town of the same name, located in Holguín, in the eastern province of Cuba. The competition is open to films of any nationality, presented in their original language and with Spanish subtitles, with a completion date from 2022 to the present day.   Deadline: 15 April 2024

Film Paphos International Film Festival Cyprus   The Paphos International Film Festival (PIFF) is an annual festival held every year in Paphos in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. PIFF is committed to supporting independent short films and it aims to research, promote and develop the art of independent filmmaking. The festival is open to short films of a maximum of twenty minutes in length (fiction and documentary) and student short film of a maximum fifteen minutes in length.   Deadline: 30 April 2024

PROJECT FUNDING

Cross-disciplinary Digitalization of the Tourism and Creative Sectors (DOTS) Grant Trinidad and Tobago   The Digitalization of the Tourism and Creative Sectors grant will provide reimbursement of 50% of expenditure up to a maximum of TT$50,000.00 for the development of a digitalization project that is tourism and/or creative related. The DOTS Committee is responsible for the assessment of this Reimbursement Grant. It falls under the Grants, Sponsorship and Subventions Secretariat which is responsible for the administration and assessment of stakeholder funding under the purview of the Ministry.   Deadline: 1 June 2024

Cross-disciplinary International Fund for Cultural Diversity   The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) invests in the Cultural and Creative Industries to empower countries in the Global South and enrich the entire world. Through an open and competitive process, it funds innovative projects with up to US$100,000 implemented over a twelve to twenty-four period. The projects are evaluated based on their relevance, feasibility, financial management capacity, expected results and sustainability.   Deadline: 16 May 2024

Cross-disciplinary Bahamas Cultural Grant Bahamas   The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, through the Department of Culture, gives annual and one-time grants each year to persons and organizations for cultural ventures. Applicants must be citizens and residents of The Bahamas. Applications are processed within a period of one to three months and can be applied for at any time of the year.   Permanently open

RESEARCH GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Cross-disciplinary Postgraduate, doctorate and teacher mobility grants Spain   The Carolina Foundation awards more than 600 scholarships annually in the areas of postgraduate studies, doctoral programmes and post-doctoral short stays, teacher mobility programmes, scholarship programmes and institutional studies. All of them offer specific training in the areas of cultural management and art history. The postgraduate scholarships are aimed at training in Spain for graduates from Latin American countries, members of the Ibero-American Community of Nations or Portugal, with academic or professional ability backed by an outstanding curriculum.   Deadline: 21 February 2024 (summer school), 14 March 2024 (postgraduate programmes scholarships, 4 April 2024 (PhD and short stays)

Cross-disciplinary Scholarships for residencies at the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome Spain/Italy   The Royal Academy of Spain in Rome aims to contribute to the training of creators, restorers and researchers with the aim of making this institution a platform for the international creative projection of Ibero-America and achieving greater cultural links with Europe. The aim of the programme is to award indivisible and individual grants to finance projects of excellence for Ibero-American citizens.   Deadline: 28 February 2024

Audiovisual and interactive media Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art Production grants for Media Art  Germany    The Foundation of Lower Saxony grant at the Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art supports a wide spectrum of media art, from video art and net-based projects to audio works and audio-visual installations. Each of the three grants are awarded for the production of a new project in the area of media art. The grant is valid for a duration of six months (July to December). It cannot be prolonged, and residency is compulsory; grant recipients can expect to stay in Oldenburg at least one month.   Deadline: 29 February 2024

Cross-disciplinary Bogliasco Foundation Fellowships Italy   The Bogliasco Foundation awards one-month fellowships to individuals of all ages and nationalities who have made significant contributions in the arts and humanities. Fellows live and work in surroundings on the coast near Genoa. The Foundation welcomes applications from individuals doing creative or scholarly work in the following disciplines: archaeology, architecture, classics, dance, film/video, history, landscape architecture, literature, music, philosophy, theatre and visual arts. The Foundation awards approximately sixty Fellowships each year in seven residency periods that run from September to May.   Deadline: 7 March 2024

Cross-disciplinary Saari Residence Finland   The residency places are intended for individual professional artists, fiction writers, poets and novelists, translators, composers, sound artists, curators and critics and artistic collectives of all disciplines and all nationalities for the purpose of carrying out a project proposed in advance. An individual residency spanning two months includes accommodation, a workroom and a monthly grant, the sum of which is determined by the applicant’s experience. The purpose of the grant is to cover the cost of living, travel and other expenses. Workgroups can apply for a grant for a work period of two to four weeks.   Deadline: 27 March 2024

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Music Consulting services of a Music Studio Consultant/Sound Engineer Saint Lucia   The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) have signed a Grant Agreement to finance the tenth cycle of the Basic Needs Trust Fund Programme (BNTF 10). The project is implemented by the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) and will run until December 2024. As part of the project, the SSDF is inviting sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for the consulting services of a Music Studio Consultant/Sound Engineer in Gros Islet. The bidding process follows specific eligibility criteria and procurement procedures, and interested firms must meet certain requirements, such as being legally incorporated in an eligible country and demonstrating relevant experience and technical qualifications. Bidders are also required to submit full qualification information with bids in English.   Deadline: 27 February 2024

TRANSCULTURA News

Stay tuned to learn about Caribbean creativity through the Transcultura programme!   Caribbean digital creators present their work and explore latest industry trends at the PIDS Enghien festival in France Read more   UNESCO showcases its Transcultura programme as a good practice in the UNESCO Word Conference on Culture and Arts Education Read more   Aesthetics, ethics and economy: a virtuous triangle to promote visual arts as a public good in the Caribbean Read more   Check out UNESCO Transcultura results and achievements in 2023! Watch the video

We want to hear from you!Has this newsletter helped you to take a new step in your career? Does the organization you work for have opportunities for young professionals in the Caribbean in the Cultural and Creative Industries? Write to us at transcultura.programme@unesco.org

Blessings in abundance!