Africa No Filter (ANF) has announced a partnership with Western Union targeted at facilitating rapid, effective and secure disbursement of grants to emerging artists across the continent.
Storytellers who access the funds are expected to create and publish unique and compelling contents that shift prevailing stereotypical narratives about Africa.
The project addresses the need for more access to funding for emerging artists in Africa.
“The grants are for individuals under age 35 and range between $500 and $2000. Because the application process is deliberately accessible, it opens up new opportunities for artists and storytellers. With Western Union as a payment partner, accessing the funds once approved is now even easier,” said executive director of Africa No Filter Moky Makura, in a statement sent to The ICIR.
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“Independent storytellers on the continent often do not have access to traditional grant-making organisations. They lack visibility into grant awards, the grant-application process, and the monitoring and reporting tools needed by the more traditional funders.”
“The Kekere grant amounts may be small, but a few hundred dollars can go a long way towards helping storytellers bring their content to life. As a grant-making organisation, having a safe, reliable financial partner to help us dispense the funds quickly is critical, and Western Union is a trusted payment brand,” Makura further said.
He added that the partnership with Western Union, which had a vast network of outlets that could deliver grants to individuals in small communities and those in large cities equally effectively, was an added advantage to Africa No Filter’s goal of grant disbursement.
“The Kekere Storytellers Fund is helping us build a pipeline of the continent’s next generation of creative talent, and we are pleased we can contribute to their work,” said ANF’s program lead Jessica Hagan.
“Art is one of Africa’s biggest exports, both within the continent and globally. It provides an opportunity for us to show the world our creativity, innovation and share our own stories that challenge the perceptions about our countries and communities,” Hagan noted.
Africa No Fliter will announce the first set of recipients for the grants in April 2021. A new call for application will go out in the next quarter and interested artists can register on the ANF website.
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