Cluster member festival grants

Joining transnational networks

This programme connects ambitious mid-scale festivals with established hub festivals to create powerful transnational networks spanning West Africa. Join a cluster aligned with your cultural sector and work collaboratively to build international partnerships and expand your festival's reach across the region and beyond.

Who can apply: Mid-scale festivals that have achieved local recognition and success, demonstrating ambition and potential capacity to develop international activities. You must be motivated to internationalise your activities and participate actively in collaborative cluster work plans developed by hub festivals.

Cluster participation: Work within transnational networks of approximately 8 festivals per cluster, representing at least 5 different West African countries and multiple linguistic backgrounds. Each cluster focuses on specific cultural sectors including music, cinema, performing arts, visual arts, heritage, or literature.

Activities you'll join: Participate in work plans developed by your hub festival, which may include developing collaborations and co-productions, creating festival circuits for artists and professionals, organising staff mobilities, visiting European festivals for relationship-building, and developing joint international marketing strategies.

Capacity building access: Benefit from comprehensive training programmes including short-form workshops, long-form capacity building courses, sector-specific English language training, international internships, and mentoring support. Training covers festival management, production, marketing, artistic direction, and internationalisation strategies.

Regional cooperation: Build lasting partnerships with festivals across West Africa, sharing resources, expertise, and opportunities. Create circuits for artists and professionals that strengthen regional cultural networks and provide new platforms for creative collaboration.

European partnerships: Through your cluster, access opportunities to develop relationships with European festivals, participate in study visits during European festival season, and host return visits from European partners during West African festival season.

Financial support: Grants cover dedicated staff person for cluster participation, costs of participating in work plan activities, travel for cluster meetings and international visits, training programme participation, and collaborative project development.

Selection process: Applications reviewed jointly by Goethe-Institut, hub festivals, and sector experts. Selection promotes geographical and linguistic diversity within clusters while ensuring festivals have capacity and motivation to benefit from international cooperation.

Commitment required: Active participation in cluster activities, implementation of agreed work plans, attendance at training programmes, engagement with capacity building opportunities, and contribution to collective internationalisation goals over two-year period.

How to apply: Applications assessed on festival track record, internationalisation ambitions, capacity to participate in collaborative activities, and alignment with hub festival vision and sector focus. Strong applications demonstrate genuine commitment to regional cooperation and international development.

Launch Date: 01.03.2026
Cut-off Date: 15.05.2026
Implementation Phase: 01.07.2026 - 30.06.2028