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On 13 December 2017, seven initiatives to boost the creative economy around the world were selected as the new beneficiaries of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The projects awarded are:
- Mapping and developing cultural and creative industries (Montenegro)
- Entrepreneurs for Diversity (E4D): Strengthening regional creative industries in Mesoamerica (Guatemala, Mexico)
- Retina Latina: Strengthening the Latin American film industry in the digital age (Regional Project submitted by Colombia)
- The Business of Plays: transforming the Theatre industry (Ukraine)
- Mapping and strengthening local cultural value chains (Brazil)
- Engaging Tirana’s communities in public art and policy (Albania)
- MobiCINE: Transforming film distribution and access (Senegal)
Each project will receive funds of up to US$100,000. In discussing their selection, Yarri Kamara, Coordinator of the IFCD Panel of Experts that independently reviewed all the requests, stressed the importance of regional cooperation, noting that 12 countries are benefitting from the 7 projects, and that Albania and Ukraine are first-time recipients. “These diverse projects, supporting cinema, theatre, public art and policies, and cultural entrepreneurship, include important models of South-South cooperation” she said.
The projects were approved by the 24 members of the 2005 Convention’s Intergovernmental Committee, which met at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 12-15 December 2017. The Committee also decided that the next call for IFCD funding requests will go out in February 2018.
The IFCD is a voluntary multi-donor fund established under the 2005 Convention with the aim of promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries that are Parties to the Convention. Beneficiaries of the IFCD support the emergence of dynamic cultural sectors in developing countries, particularly by strengthening the means to create, produce, distribute and have access to diverse cultural goods and services. Projects cover a wide range of areas, from the development and implementation of cultural policies, to capacity-building for cultural entrepreneurs, mapping of cultural industries and the creation of new cultural industry business models.
Since 2010, the IFCD has provided over US$ 7 million in funding to 97 projects in 53 developing countries.
To learn more about other IFCD funded projects, click here.