30 Jun Selection results for the calls of 2021

Following the calls launched on May 4th for:

• Grant proposals for cultural actions;
• Consultancy for the organisation of info-sessions and networking events;
• Consultancy for capacity building;

the Swiss Cultural Fund has the pleasure to announce the successful applicants. All applications were carefully evaluated by a trilateral board representing SCF, SDC and independent expert. We take the opportunity to thank once again everyone who applied in our calls for 2021. We received a high number of quality applications and the decisions were not easy. The winning proposals are:

2021 Grant Calls

1. Anila Balla – The Rape (Përdhunimi). Two completely opposite monologues in content, but with one thing in common: sexual discourse. As two thematic contradictions, they also come as a directorial and acting concept.
2. Was Bleibt Kollektiv – Nostalgia. A colletion of filmed choreographic miniatures about memories, realities that are lost, or only found in the archives of the subconscious.
3. Tirana Art Lab – Tirana Floating Archive. A digital platform documenting past and present artistic interventions in public space in Tirana from the 1990’s until today.
4. Bulevard Team – Tie in. Tie-In is a program including: a video installation, music performances and talks about the music video in Albania from the 90’s till today.
5. CFD–VA.TRA. Promotion and film and digital documentation of Rrajca Dance, wedding rites, traditional Rrajca dress through the performance of young artists and cultural heritage experts. Enlivening the cultural life of the community as well as creating opportunities to generate income.
6. Gerald Jaupi – City with no (ide)ntity. Illustration of the disintegration of the city identity through the medium of digital art
7. Qendra Multimediale “Shteg” – Music trail (Shteg muzike). Development and promotion of contemporary musicians of the independent music scene, on the online platform www.shteg.al.
8. Zeta – Mineral Policy. Four artists in the field of contemporary art will create and exhibit in Bulqiza and Tirana.There will also be a discussion panel.

Consultancy for the organisation of info-sessions and networking events

In merit of qualification and experience, the evaluation board selected Mr. Kristi Komino as consultant for the organisation of info-sessions and networking events.

Consultancy for capacity building

The evalation board did not select a consultant for capacity building in this call.

06 Jun Extended deadline: Open call for the organisation of info–sessions, networking events and community building

Important dates

Launch of call: 04.05.2021

Deadline for applications: 04.06.2021

Extended deadline for applications: 14.06.2021

Deadline to submit questions: 24.05.2021

Swiss Cultural Fund has the pleasure to announce the open call for the organisation of info–sessions, networking events and community building.
A Review and Expert Opinion on the Effectiveness of the first phase of the Swiss Cultural Fund recommended a strengthened communication strategy, in order to guarantee bigger community engagement.Based on this feedback, the SCF team is working to design and implement:

• Info-sessions between SCF and community members of the independent cultural scene;
• Networking events, between SCF, grant beneficiaries, cultural actors and general audience;
• Community engagement through the strengthening of SCFs presence on social media and web.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, through this call, SCF is looking to hire a qualified consultant.
If you are interested to apply, please download the application guidelines in the link below.

06 Jun Extended deadline: Call for capacity building consultancy

Important dates

Launch of call: 04.05.2021

Deadline for applications: 14.06.2021

Deadline to submit questions: 24.05.2021

Swiss Cultural Fund has the pleasure to announce the open call for capacity building consultancy.
Under the Capacity Building pillar there are included Training Packages for the Local Grant Applicants:

• Training Package 1 including nutshells courses into:
  • Writing a grant proposal;
  • Understanding SCF calls and application process;
  • Use of digital tools in Art and Culture to document and promote cultural events and artistic products.
• Training Package 2 including nutshells courses into:
  • Project management under SCF support;
  • Event organization and logistics;
  • Communication strategy;
  • Financial management;
  • Narrative and financial reporting.

This Program is designed to provide trainings on how to write project proposals with cultural backgrounds and how to use technology in this field, for the young artists, organizations and other sectorial stakeholders, and equip them with the knowledge and tools required to achieve excellence in cultural grant applications. The trainings are aimed to be fit for the local art community.The Capacity Building instrument especially targets potential emerging artists with innovative initiativesthat will be interested to apply for the projects under the local calls for proposal, which will be issued during this project or other similar-related projects.
Through this call, SCF intends to hire a consultant or an organization to undertake the following consultancy tasks.
If you are interested to apply, please download the application guidelines in the link below.

26 May Questions and Answers

In relation to the calls launched on May 4th:

• 2021 Grant Calls
• Consultancy for capacity building
• Organisation of info-sessions, networking events and community building

we are publishing the answers to the questions that we received until May 24th. Please click in the button below to download the document.

04 May Open call for proposals for the 2021 grants

Important dates

Launch of call: 04.05.2021

Deadline for applications: 04.06.2021

Deadline to submit questions: 24.05.2021

Swiss Cultural Fund has the pleasure to announce the open call for proposals for the 2021 grants.
This call is open to applicants that fall under one of the following categories:

• Young or emerging artists or culture experts (individuals) whose activity is related to the Albanian independent cultural scene;
• Informal groups of young or emerging artists or culture experts. In this case, one single individual must represent the group;
• Organisations whose activity and scope of work are related to the Albanian independent cultural scene. Organisations are required to design proposals that involve young or emerging artists or culture experts;

SCF invites eligible applicants to submit proposals based on the following thematic areas:

1. Collaboration across disciplines
   1. Collaboration between filmmakers and performing artists for the production of filmed performances;
   2. Collaboration between visual artists and performing artists for the production of art projects that involve film or video installations;
   3. Collaboration between cultural heritage researchers, performing artists and filmmakers for the re-enacting and documentation of intangible cultural heritage.
2. Theatre outside of a theatre building
3. Documentation and promotion of Albanian contemporary artists
4. Production, documentation and exhibition of digital art projects

If you are interested to apply, please download the application package in the link below.

24 Mar Information session and open discussion for 2021 calls

Prior to launching the 2021 call for grants applications, the Swiss Cultural Fund has the pleasure to invite artists and other professionals of the independent cultural scene in an interactive information and discussion session.
SCFA’s objective of this meeting is to receive suggestions from members of the community on potential topics of interest and project typologies that can be supported through our local grants scheme in realistic timelines, budgets and pandemic-related restrictions.
Your voice is important to us. If you would like to participate, please save the date and confirm by filling the form in the link below.

https://forms.gle/3Nm5NNZ8YsiVz9TS9

Monday 29 March 2021

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

10 Feb Launch of the second phase of the Swiss Cultural Fund in Albania

New opportunities for the independent cultural scene in Albania are presented

Tirana – The second phase of the Swiss Cultural Fund in Albania (SCFA) is launched. In a video conference attended by about 100 people, were presented some of the achievements of the first phase, as well as new opportunities for support in the period 2021–2023.

During his welcome address, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Albania, Mr. Adrian Maître said that Albania has talent and cultural potential [that is] worth promoting. The new phase of the project will continue to promote the potential of an independent cultural scene in Albania and create opportunities for networking, fundraising and project implementation.

Mr. Dritan Mezini, head of the CBTL organization and manager of SCFA said that the implementation of SCFA on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC is both a pleasure and a responsibility. “We all know that the ecosystem of projects supported by the Swiss Government is determined by serious rules and standards. We as a team follow the same rules and standards.” – He said.

The second phase of the SCFA introduces a higher budget for support of projects from young and emerging artists as well as independent cultural organizations. The new structure in call programming makes it possible for projects to have longer implementation times. The exclusive focus on local artists creates the opportunity for 50% more support for them, compared to the first stage. As a result, more projects will be supported with grants and more artists will benefit from the capacity building program.

Among the other innovations of the second phase, were mentioned info-sessions, as well as the organization of two Swiss Arts evenings – a unique first-hand experience in improving the knowhow, expertise and international exposure of the Albanian art community.

The meeting ended with a presentation of 20 projects supported during the first phase of SCFA, as well as a Q&A session with conference participants.

For those who found it impossible to participate in the video conference, a recording of it will be published on the project’s Facebook page.

The Swiss Cultural Fund is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and is implemented by the Center for Business, Technology and Leadership CBTL.

10 Nov Call for the creation of virtual tours of cultural sites – Selected proposal

Following the call for the creation of virtual tours of cultural sites, we present the selected project for support.

We take this opportunity to thank every applicant for their time, energy, involvement and interest! We welcome and encourage each and every one of you to apply in our upcoming calls.

Project: Virtual tour of Gjirokastra Castle

Applicant: Shoqata Sektra

Implementation time: 21 days

12 Oct Corrigendum no1

12 Oct Q&A for the open call for the design and implementation of virtual tours in cultural sites