Art allows for there to be a different story, an individual voice or image, so marginalised and discriminated groups can be seen and heard. It has the benefit of being able to provide these groups an alternative narrative that they can be able to relate to.
How do we make the future more safe and attractive for marginalised and discriminated groups than what now exists? Can art inspire people to act as advocates for human rights causes? Can art be used in more direct ways to appeal to governments and open up possibilities for new thinking?

Pressing and persistent social problems, conflicts and closing civic spaces in Tanzania, calls out for more intelligent, effective, and innovative solutions. Current methods are not reaching far beyond constituencies that are already sympathetic and engaged.
Voice Tanzania in collaboration with Hivos’ Resource Of Open Minds (ROOM) East Africa project wishes to support creatives through this call for proposal to learn from new and more dynamic methods of communicating about human rights.

What is ROOM?

ROOM EA is a project that supports creatives’ contribution to diversification of dialogue, debate and dissent in their societies. It supports young creatives, like artists, designers, filmmakers, vloggers etc., who create independent cultural and media productions which are diverse in their identities, mediums, content, channels and audiences.

Funding for the Innovate & Learn Grant is available as follows;-

1. Pilot & start-up ideas – Minimum duration of 3 – 12 months for a grant of up to €25,000;
2. Idea replication/expansion/scale-up – Minimum duration of 12- 24 months and for a grant of €25,000 to €200,000.

What do we mean by Innovation?

For this call, Innovation means anything that has not been tried before in a particular context and/or with a particular target group. If you have a new idea, method or approach, you are welcome to propose it in your application. Innovation also means using tried and tested influencing, mobilisation, meaningful engagement methods but for new purposes and with new target groups, audience and themes.

What do we wish to fund?
Your project can focus on issues that will impact on at least one or all the following target groups;-

1. People with disabilities,
2. Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence,
3. Age discriminated vulnerable groups notably the young and elderly,
4. Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities.

Often the most marginalised and discriminated are those who may be vulnerable due to multiple reasons. Groups that are affected by more than one factor are more vulnerable to discrimination and an emphasis on learning from programming to address this phenomenon is encouraged. Therefore we have a strong preference for projects that intend to work with more than one target group and demonstrate their interdependent relationships.

Projects funded through this call will need to address one or more of the VOICE impact themes:

1.  improving access to (productive) resources (finance, land and water) and employment
2. improving access to social services, health and education in particular
3. fostering space for political participation:

Who do we wish to fund?

This call is primarily directed to locally registered organisations or social enterprises that are:

• Representing communities of creative and cultural producers engaged in audio-visual content creation such as: creative spaces, groups of artists, music studios, hubs, cafés, art spaces, art galleries, independent production houses, networks of artists and producers, online platforms, collectives, co-working spaces focusing on the creative industry.
• Content producers that are using audio-visuals as an approach to dissemination and communication
• Using digital means to strategically distribute their content to their audiences. (e.g. through online channels such as Youtube, Spotify etc.)
• Producing content/work that aims to show alternative viewpoints on big issues affecting the four marginalised and discriminated groups mentioned above. This content/work should enhance public debate through enabling alternative viewpoints to mainstream societal narratives.

This call for proposals is closed, so application is no longer possible. Please come back here at a later stage to learn about the grantees that have been selected in this call for proposals.

Calls for proposals for Influencing grants will be opened once a year, while for Empowerment, Innovate and Learn and Sudden Opportunity grants we accept proposals on a rolling basis. The current open calls for proposals can be found here.