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 for the ‘Visual Arts: A Flourishing Field’ Project Grants

(Second Round 2019 - 2021)



The ‘Visual Arts: A Flourishing Field’ (VAFF) Project announces the second open call for applications. With funding from Sweden, the VAFF project is implemented by the A.M. Qattan Foundation’s Culture and Arts Programme.

Through this second round of project funding, VAFF aims to build on the achievements and experiences accumulated from the implementation of the first round. VAFF also aspires to further its work towards the realisation of a more sustainable and vibrant visual arts field in Palestine. The VAFF support for the sustainability of the visual arts field is a holistic process that includes the enhancement of the structures of visual arts organisations and the capacities of their staff, the diversification of financial resources, the advancement of the effectiveness of art programmes and the upgrading of logistics capacities. The aim is that this will, in turn, lead to a higher efficiency in working with a wider base of artists, art collectives and researchers, to produce new educational, art and research based projects. It will also contribute to the engagement of new groups and audiences with the new productions, and enhance the position and role of the organisations in the cultural scene and in Palestinian society.

 

1. The VAFF Project’s Outcomes:

VAFF aims to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Enhancing financial and/or administrative and/or technical and core staff capacities, as well as the acquiring of equipment and other resources related to the implementation of visual arts programmes.
  • Developing learning and research programmes and opportunities in the field of the visual arts, and making these available to artists, academics, art students and professionals, as well as reinforcing elements that will elevate the enthusiasm and engagement of different community groups in the visual arts field.
  • Developing the capacities of art organisations in extending support to artists and art professionals for the engagement with and/or the production of new art works, and in building a wider audience base.

By accomplishing the above outcomes, we hope to contribute in the long-term to the development of a Palestinian society that embraces freedom of expression and produces knowledge, art and culture.

 

2. Eligibility Criteria:

The following are eligible to submit applications for VAFF Project Grants:

  • Non-profit organisations working fully or partially in the visual arts field, and which are registered in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and/or Gaza Strip.
  • Art colleges, faculties and other academic institutions that offer educational and/or research programmes in the visual arts, and which are registered in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and/or Gaza Strip.
  • Art colleges, faculties and other academic institutions that offer educational and/or research programmes in the visual arts, and which are registered in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and/or Gaza Strip.
  • Partner organisations that received VAFF grants as part of the first round of funding are eligible to apply in this second round, with the knowledge that this does not necessarily qualify them to receive a second grant.

Note: Organisations receiving core funding from other projects funded by Sweden are still eligible to apply, but to avoid any potential “duplication of funding” such applications will go through an additional assessment in an early stage of the evaluation process. A decision will then be made regarding the organisation’s eligibility to go through the evaluation phases as listed below.

 

3. Implementation Period:

The grant implementation period is eighteen months, tentatively starting in September 2019 and lasting until February 2021. Narrative and financial reports should also be submitted during this period.

 

4. Grant Award:

Grants will range between $100,000 - $300,000 per organisation. Awarding of grants will be subject to a series of evaluation phases, as explained in the ‘Selection’ section below.

 

5. Eligible Expenditures:

VAFF provides both core and programme funding to organisations. Grants cover the following expenditure:

  • Administrative and operational expenditures, including core staff salaries, the costs of  communications, internet, stationery, transportation, website development, financial audit of the grant, and rent and related expenditures such as utilities and taxes, etc.
  • Expenditure relating to updating existing or developing new strategic plans, in cases where existing plans are outdated.  
  • Expenditure relating to the enhancement of the organisation’s administrative and financial capacities through the updating and developing of financial and administrative systems and manuals, upgrading the organisation’s infrastructure and art-related spaces, and strengthening core staff capacities.
  • Expenditure relating to developing the sustainability of applicant organisations, including the development and implementation of resource mobilisation plans and initiatives to diversify resources and income generating programmes.
  • Expenditures on programmes that directly contribute to the achievement of all (or some) of the VAFF’s defined outcomes.

Note: VAFF grants only cover expenditure incurred after the date on which the Grant Implementation Agreements are signed.

 

6. Evaluation Criteria:

AMQF appoints an independent jury to evaluate submitted applications. Jury members are selected in line with clear and specific professional criteria.

Applications that meet all the eligibility requirements are evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

  1. The ability of the submitted applications to respond to all or some of the needs of the visual arts scene, either in the local context in which the applicant organisations work, or on the level of the visual arts scene in Palestine.
  2. The extent to which any proposed new methods in the applications will enable the applicant organisations to accumulate impact, knowledge and new artistic practices and experiences.
  3. The ability of the applications to contribute to achieving all or some of the VAFF project’s outcomes.
  4. The ability of the applications to support the applicant organisations to work with a broader base of artists and art collectives, furnishing opportunities for new artists to benefit from the various programmes that the applicant organisations offer.
  5. Ability of the applications to enable the applicant organisations to work with different and new segments of the local community and reach out to a wider audience.
  6. Ability of the applications to promote collaboration and networking between visual artists and professionals, allowing for opportunities to improve the exchange of ideas and the use of available resources.
  7. The extent to which the applications include criteria and procedures to ensure the quality of art programmes and outputs, such as sound planning, proper budgeting, and the appointment of advisory committees and juries, etc., where applicable.
  8. The extent to which the application is consistent with, and takes account of, the VAFF grant values, namely:
  • Transparency and the provision of equal opportunities to artists and professionals by announcing open calls to these opportunities and appointing independent selection committees and juries, which will function in line with pre-announced selection criteria.
  • Human rights, gender equality, engagement of people with disabilities, and environment-friendly practices.
  1. The experience of applicants who have been the recipients of a first round VAFF grant will be reviewed, and the extent to which they will be able to achieve greater impact by receiving a second-round grant will be assessed. It should be noted that AMQF has the right not to approve a new grant for any defaulting applicants if they were in receipt of a previous grant that was funded by the AMQF and for which the said applicants have not completed and finalised the submission of the required reports and documents as provided by the Grant Implementation Agreement and within the timeframe agreed between the parties.

7. Selection:

Eligible applications will be evaluated through the following evaluation phases:

  • First Phase:

- A specialised independent jury will evaluate all eligible and complete applications against the evaluation criteria listed above. In this phase (and based on need), the jury will conduct explanatory interviews with representatives of all or some of the applicant organisations, and subsequently an initial shortlist of applicants will be announced. All applicant organisations will be notified of the jury’s decisions relating to this first phase.

- The jury will conduct additional meetings (based on need) with representatives of the shortlisted applicants to further discuss their applications and to provide developmental comments.

- The shortlisted organisations will be requested to submit developed applications that will include detailed budgets and action plans. 

 

  • Second Phase: 

- A team of independent consultants will conduct an assessment of the shortlisted applicants’ administrative and financial capacities and their various resources. 

- The jury will review the results of the assessment and evaluate the modified applications. 

- In light of the results of the above process, the jury will announce the second shortlist for the VAFF project. All applicant organisations will be notified of the jury’s decisions relating to this second phase.

 

8. Grant Awarding:

In light of the recommendations and results of the evaluation phases, the VAFF project team will work closely with each shortlisted organisation on developing and finalising the budgets, action plans and other components of their applications, especially those related to planning, governance and transparency, capacity development, audience building, quality of outputs, sustainability and resource mobilisation. Based on the results of this process, decisions regarding the final grant recipients and the financial value of the grants will be made, and grant implementation agreements will be signed between AMQF and the partner organisations.

 

9. To Apply:

Please complete the VAFF grant application form, and the required annexes, and submit by email, with the subject line

‘[Name of Organisation]_VAFF_Second Round’, to e.sharabati@qattanfoundation.org no later than Thursday, May 2nd, 2019.

For any enquiries, please email: e.sharabati@qattanfoundation.org



 

VAFF is funded by Sweden: