Connect & Create #Creative Tandems funded cooperation and co-production projects jointly designed by a performing arts or music organization established in sub-Saharan Africa and one established in the European Union. Goethe-Institut and Expertise France led the wider EU-supported initiative in partnership with Institut français.
The African organization submitted as lead and received the grant for the joint program, while the European partner supplied a commitment letter. Eligible formats included co-creation or co-production, artistic or research residencies, workshops, training, exchanges, and peer learning.
Benefits & funding
- Grants ranged from €20,000 to €60,000 and were paid to the African lead organization for the tandem’s joint program.
- Eighty percent was payable when the grant agreement was signed, with the remaining 20% released after the final report.
- Applicants had to secure at least 50% complementary financing by submission.
- Each project had to run for 18–24 months within the March 2026–March 2028 implementation window.
Eligibility
- Each tandem needed one legally established sub-Saharan African organization as lead and one legally established EU organization as co-applicant; the European partner had to be identified and committed when applying.
- Eligible sub-Saharan African bases were Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Eligible EU bases were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden; French overseas departments and territories were also eligible.
- Associations, foundations, cultural institutions, private companies, and comparable bodies needed significant performing arts experience, legal registration, at least two years of legal existence, and a bank account able to receive international transfers.
- Proposed activities had to be non-profit and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, an EU country, or both; organizations receiving core operating funding from Goethe-Institut, Institut français, or the European Union were ineligible.
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Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · DR Congo
+ 63 more
Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Eswatini · Tanzania · Gambia · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden
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Application process
- 1Form a tandem with an eligible African lead organization and an eligible EU partner already committed to the project.
- 2Design an 18–24 month cooperation or co-production project in an eligible performing arts or music format.
- 3Secure at least 50% complementary financing and prepare the project dossier plus the European partner’s commitment letter.
- 4Have the African lead submit the application through IFProg by the deadline; the campaign is now closed.
Program timeline
Call opened.
17 September 2025
Deadline for clarification requests.
30 November 2025
Application deadline at 23:59 CET.
14 December 2025
Selection committees met.
February 2026
Results were scheduled for announcement.
Mid-February 2026
Earliest project implementation.
March 2026
Latest project completion.
March 2028