A bold new initiative is redefining cultural collaboration between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, placing African leadership and perspectives at the heart of international cultural exchange.
With a budget of €8 million over 42 months, the Sub-Saharan Component of the AFRICA-EUROPE PARTNERSHIPS FOR CULTURE programme aims to reshape how the two regions work together creatively, professionally, and economically.
The programme is part of a broader €30 million initiative funded by the European Union, committed to fostering cultural relations based on equal partnership, co-creation, and shared decision-making.
According to Philina Wittke, Project Lead at the Goethe-Institut, the programme represents a paradigm shift in how intercultural partnerships are formed.
“We are establishing partnerships where African cultural stakeholders drive their own internationalisation strategies, whilst European partners contribute as equals in a genuine dialogue of mutual learning and respect,” she said.
Operating across Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, the programme is designed to support artists and cultural professionals through a wide range of interconnected efforts.
It will enhance mobility by facilitating artist exchanges both within Africa and between Africa and Europe, strengthening regional ties and enabling the formation of international networks.
Simultaneously, it will invest in cultural spaces, empowering institutions to serve as platforms for creation, co-production, incubation, and critical discourse through targeted development programmes and professional exchanges.
In the performing arts sector, the initiative will promote collaboration through projects led by joint African-European teams.
It will also organise professional meetings between stakeholders from both continents, support African productions on tour, and equip cultural intermediaries with the skills needed to manage and promote the performing arts sector.
Similarly, the visual arts segment will focus on fostering collaboration and connectivity between African and European professionals, with an emphasis on co-creation, documentation, and increased visibility on global platforms.
One of the programme’s distinguishing features is its commitment to equitable participation and inclusive practices. African and European partners share decision-making authority across all programme activities, ensuring genuine collaboration.
The programme will be implemented in English, French, Portuguese, and local African languages, embracing linguistic diversity without creating hierarchies.
Projects must reflect true co-creation rather than one-sided cultural exchange, and there is a strong focus on gender equity, with a target of 50% female participation across all supported initiatives.
Beyond artistic exchange, the Sub-Saharan Component seeks to strengthen Africa’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as a vital part of the continent’s economic growth.
Through its “Connect and Create” approach, it aims to expand market access for African artists in Europe, while also boosting cultural commerce within Africa itself. It will provide capacity-building opportunities in areas such as cultural management, digital marketing, and international touring strategies.
Moreover, the programme is designed to create professional networks and collaborations that can thrive independently long after the funding cycle ends. Innovative co-production models will also be explored, balancing cultural authenticity with global commercial appeal.
This component operates alongside two other regional arms of the Africa-Europe cultural cooperation effort.
The Southern Africa Component focuses on heritage and narrative development in countries such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, while the West Africa Component supports festival internationalisation and creative infrastructure across 15 countries, including Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria.
Implementation of the Sub-Saharan Component is spearheaded by a consortium consisting of the Goethe-Institut, Expertise France, and Institut français, with support from the European Union under the NDICI–Global Europe instrument.
As the initiative unfolds, it is expected not only to strengthen cultural ties between Africa and Europe, but also to serve as a blueprint for future models of inclusive, sustainable, and genuinely collaborative global cultural engagement.
