Tilwan for Culture, Art & Heritage; Tajarrod for Architecture and Urbanism; HESSA6 for Art; and Fonoon Institute for Media and Culture are the four Libyan entities that will be receiving support under the second cycle of the North Africa Cultural Program’s National Cultural Opportunities Fund.
The NACP Libya jurors - Hadia Gana, Fatima Ghandour and Leila Tayeb - convened in an online meeting in May to review the applications and make their final selection. At the close of the jury meeting, the jurors issued the following jury statement, summing up their impressions:
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“The grant applications received for this cycle have shown renewed confidence in AFAC, reflecting its committed efforts to foster the spirit of initiative, support innovation, and make an impact on the cultural landscape. We have taken into account the current Libyan contexts and the pressing need for cultural and artistic practice, as well as work to sustain them.
Our task in evaluating the submissions was far from easy. The majority of the applicant institutions had years of experience and demonstrated achievements in terms of quality and craftsmanship within Libya's cultural institutions. We received applications presenting a diversity of projects spanning a wide range of artistic and cultural domains — research projects, artist residencies, documentation platforms, environmental architecture in relation to displacement, book printing, documentary filmmaking, calligraphy, music, fashion, and more.
This prompted us to proceed with caution in ensuring a fair and balanced approach to granting opportunities to emerging institutions to facilitate their growth and accelerate the shaping and accumulation of their experience.
It was essential for us to recognize and support those with extensive experience and a proven track record of success, as well as those who have already made significant contributions by expanding their work in support of active cultural and artistic institutions and individuals on the ground.
We also took into consideration local specificity in institutional and programming support for peripheral cities, cross-referencing selections with a map to ensure diversity and sustainability within the communities they serve.
Looking ahead, we certainly anticipate continued support at the programming and institutional level for entities in Libya, particularly in light of the recent notable momentum in cultural and artistic activities. The jury recognizes the importance of adopting a clear strategy that outlines the necessary steps to achieve goals and outputs. This includes providing legal assistance and establishing a timeline that spans both the short and long terms.”
The four selected entities range from a multidisciplinary art platform to institutions that are active in art education and architecture/urbanism. Through their various activities, these entities strive towards the creation of new critical language and a greater appreciation of art in Libya; they also seek to empower Libyan youths, an underrepresented community in the country.
The selected entities
- Tilwan for Culture, Art & Heritage
- Tajarrod for Architecture and Urbanism
- HESSA6 for Art
- Fonoon Institute for Media and Culture
These entities stand among 81 institutions supported under the second cycle of the NACP (2024-2027). The NACP is carried out by AFAC with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The first cycle of the program (2019-2023) benefited 54 cultural organizations and over 2,500 practitioners and professionals, through diversified grants, training, events, and encounters that offered opportunities for networking and exchange among participants.