Initiated by ACP-EU Culture, AWA is a program led by the Institut français and the Kôrè Cultural Center (CCK) in Ségou, Mali, with financial support from the EU and the Secretariat of the ACP Organization.
It aims to support the structuring of cultural and creative industries (CCI) in West Africa by boosting their competitiveness and supporting players in the sector in their digital transition.
Covering 16 West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Mauritania), AWA focuses on three main areas of intervention:
– Financial support for the structuring and promotion of projects led by cultural operators in the region;
– The implementation of a skills development program for professionals in the cultural and creative industries, with a particular focus on facilitating access to the market and innovative financing;
– Networking of West African cultural actors through innovative models of creative collaboration.
The program has announced the results of the West African Culture Promotion Fund grant – ACP-EU Culture Program: Support for the Culture and Creative Sectors in West Africa.
Thirty-four winners of the third call for proposals from its West African Culture Promotion Fund will each receive a grant of €25,000 over one year.