Call for applications: Hii Stage II grants for Kenyan artists

The Embassy of France in Kenya is calling on local artists to submit applications for its Hii Stage II production and touring fund.

In 2021, the Embassy of France, through the French government’s Solidarity Fund for innovative projects supported five arts and cultural spaces in Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi, Mombasa and Lamu with sound and light equipment, trainings in sound/light engineering, cultural programme management and branding and marketing, as well national artists’ tours.

These spaces collectively referred to as Creative Arts Spaces in Kenya Network (CASiK) include Dunga Hill Camp (Kisumu), Nakuru Players Theatre (Nakuru), Sarakasi Trust (Nairobi), Swahili Pot Hub (Mombasa) and Utamaduni Centre (Lamu) and the Alliance Française in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Hii Stage II presents yet another opportunity for Kenyan artists to take their performances across selected counties in 2025 and continue broadening their audiences. It also provides the CASiK venues with diverse programming content. As a result, Kenyan artists will be touring their original quality productions across Kenya and make a positive contribution to the national cultural landscape.

Hii Stage I, managed by Heva Fund in 2024, enabled 11 artists/groups to execute a total of 45 performances across 5 counties showcasing a rich variety of performing arts disciplines, engaging diverse audiences, and mobilizing local communities.

Through grants up to KES1 million, Hii Stage II production and touring fund will enable creative individuals and collectives to refine their productions for showcasing in at least two fully equipped performing arts venues from the CASiK network.

Practitioners in theatre, live music (vocal, instrumental, deejaying), spoken word, poetry, storytelling, dance, comedy, puppetry/pantomime and multimedia and transdisciplinary arts are eligible to apply.

Projects awarded grants under this programme must be original works that contain African social, cultural and/or political themes, and employ strategies that encourage local communities to access cultural spaces.

All projects proposed must be implemented between April and September 2025.

This collaborative network is the result of a two-year project and aims to enhance the infrastructure, technical capabilities, and cultural programming in these venues in a bid to create an enabling environment for the creation, production, circulation of cultural activities across Kenya.

Read more about the venues and the technical capacities here.

Eligibility

• Applicants must live and work in Kenya.

• Applicants must be in the performing or creative arts industry in Kenya.

• Eligible value chains include: theatre, live music (vocal, instrumental, deejaying), spoken word, poetry, storytelling, dance, comedy, puppetry/pantomime, multimedia and transdisciplinary arts.

• Prosed projects should portray evidence and themes that speak to African social, cultural and/or political context.

• Applicants must have pre-ideated projects that are in the execution phase.

• Applicants must present original work (covers will not be supported).

The deadline for submission is February 7, 2025.

View the original call and submit your application here.

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