African Festival Network (AFRIFESTNET) to be launched in Ghana - Call for entries

Following a seminar in July 2010 at the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) at which delegates agreed to establish a network of African festivals and events, this network - comprising festivals and events in theatre, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, heritage as well as multidisciplinary events - will be formally launched in Accra, Ghana from 19-20 April 2012.

The event - an initiative of Arterial Network in association with the British Council - will comprise both a seminar component on the economic, social and other contributions of arts festivals and events in Africa, as well as a meeting formally to launch the network with the adoption of a constitutional framework, a programme of action and the election of a Steering Committee. Representatives of festival associations from other regions will be invited to attend. Festivals and major events in any discipline that wish to attend (represented by key decision-makers/directors) should send an expression of interest to the project manager, Dounia Benslimane (based in Morocco) at benslimane@gmail.com by 14 March 2012. Festival directors requiring assistance with travel costs should write a letter of motivation and indicate the costs for which they would like such assistance, and submit it by this deadline too. While all existing, emerging and new festivals based in Africa are welcome to attend, when deciding on financial assistance, preference will be given to festivals that have been in existence for 5 years or more and that are considered to be key festivals by their peers in their respective disciplines or regions. The Report on the ZIFF Festival Seminar - to be used as a basis for building AFRIFESTNET - is available on the Arterial Network website: www.arterialnetwork.org.