AFAC: Music Grant Program

The AFAC Music Grant Program, established by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, supports music production, performances, and festivals across the Arab region. Grants range from USD 25,000 for individuals and teams to USD 35,000 for collectives. Eligible applicants include individuals from Arab countries and institutions involved in arts and culture. The program promotes creative expression through music, fostering collaboration among artists and institutions while requiring proof of project funding for larger grants.

Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events.
AFAC’s Music grant supports music production, performances, collaborations, album recordings, music-related podcasts, and festivals.
The Music grant program provides annual grants of up to USD 25,000 for individuals and teams, and up to USD 35,000 for collectives and institutions. If the amount you are granted is more than USD 10,000 but does not cover your full project budget, you will be asked to show proof that you have secured at least 50% of the remaining budget and can continue with the project.

Eligibility

AFAC welcomes proposals from individuals from Arab countries (22 member states of the Arab League), regardless of their place of residence, citizenship, or ethnic and national identification.AFAC also accepts proposals from local, regional, and international institutions and organizations whose projects are related to arts and culture from the Arab region.These include artistic and cultural institutions, galleries, venues, and both nonprofit and for-profit entities.Applicants must choose only one program to apply to, if projects fit two different grant programs.Each applicant (individual or institution) is entitled to only one application in the same category.Projects may be implemented anywhere as long as they are created by Arab artists or – as in the case of non-Arab institutions - relevant to the Arab region.Applicants are eligible if they are nationals (not necessarily citizens) of an Arab country living in the Arab region (for example, citizenless Palestinians, Kurds, or other individuals/groups denied citizenship for political reasons).
An Arab country is defined by its membership in the League of Arab States (Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen).The maximum duration of the grant is two years.The AFAC grant covers project-related expenses (including artist fees up to 30% of the total grant amount).No grantee will be awarded more than two deadline extensions during the grant period; such extensions should be justified by the grantee and approved by AFAC.

Ineligibility

AFAC will not consider applications submitted by:Members of the Board of Trustees, their business partners or family members.AFAC staff members, their business partners or family members.Members of the current year’s readers and jurors’ committees.Recipients of two consecutive grants unless two years had passed since the last grant.Applicants with a current open grant.If an applicant has an application that is in process, s/he cannot submit another application in any category until the result of the current application in process is announced.AFAC does not offer scholarships.AFAC does not offer mobility grants. Travel costs can be covered by the AFAC grant only when they are part of the implementation of a project.In the event that the grantee does not sign the grant contract within 60 days upon receipt thereof, the grant will be canceled.
AFAC will not provide support retroactively, i.e. to projects already completed.