UNESCO has announced new funding for eight cultural initiatives. The eight projects will be financed through the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD).
These include the Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia and Herzegovina); ‘Strengthening urban cultures in Kinshasa’ (Democratic Republic of the Congo); ‘Empowering Gaza’s youth through theatre’ (Palestine); and an intellectual property rights project in Rwanda.
Other countries to receive funding are Antigua, Barbuda, Haiti, Mongolia and Peru.
“These projects can really make a difference on the ground because they have a strong impact on cultural policy making, and on capacity building for the creation, production, and distribution of cultural goods,” said IFCD coordinator Catherine Cullen.
“What’s more, they empower women and youth, and bolster development of the cultural and creative industries at the local and regional levels.”
IFCD was set up in 2005 to support cultural projects in developing countries. Since then, it has awarded grants totalling USD7m (€6.2m) to 105 different projects.
Each project will receive up to USD100,000 in funding. The next call for IFCD funding will be released in February 2019.