Promoting mobility across the Arab world: Germany's "Moving MENA" fund

The Moving MENA program, funded by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut provides support to cultural actors from the Arab region to participate in festivals, exhibitions, and other artistic events in Germany or in other partner countries of the Arab Region. In some cases, travel to research future projects is also supported, including through support for visa applications. Moving MENA has two main components: one addressed at cultural institutions in Germany willing to invite cultural professionals from Arab partner countries to perform and/or work in Germany; the other addressed to individual cultural professionals wishing to travel to Germany or other countries in the Arab world to take part in cultural events. The applicants, either institutions, cultural operators or individuals (such as exhibitions coordinators, technical managers or project managers), define the purpose and objectives of the travel. The program targets in particular young cultural actors from countries in transition. This program provides new opportunities for independent cultural actors in the Global South, enhancing South-North exchanges and South-South collaborations. It promotes joint international initiatives, gives impetus to the local and regional cultural scene and serves to strengthen the independent cultural sectors. Since its creation in 2012, Moving MENA has subsidized more than 400 travels of cultural professionals. In 2012 alone, more than 150 Arab educational and cultural actors participated in festivals, exhibitions and residence programs. This initiative illustrates the commitment of Germany to support the implementation of Goal 2 of the Convention by supporting a balanced flow of cultural goods and the mobility of artists and cultural professionals as well as SDGs 8 and 10. Indeed, the Moving MENA program facilitates the mobility of artists and cultural professionals from developing countries through preferential treatment (Target 10.A), while it promotes employment and activity in the sector as a whole (Target 8.3).