Tandem Cultural Exchange Programme 2020/2021 for cultural managers and civil society activists.

Application Deadline: Monday 23 November 2020 (23:59 CET)

The Tandem programme for cultural exchange is looking for 20 cultural managers and civil society activists from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and from Libyan initiatives and collectives displaced in these countries to join the second round of Tandem 360°.

Tandem is a cultural collaboration programme that strengthens civil society in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. Tandem offers a space to build real, meaningful, and sustainable relationships that can grow through shared interests, enthusiasm for creative discovery and the joy of making things happen together. Since its inception in 2011, Tandem has supported long-term collaborations, knowledge development and networking opportunities for more than 400 cultural managers from over 200
cities across three continents. There are currently six Tandem editions which focus on different regions and topics.

Tandem 360° allows cultural professionals from many different disciplines to acquire skills required for ecosystem mapping and engaging in long-term partnerships. The Tandem process provides hands-on possibilities for getting real insights into diverse
cultural scenes. Participants gain practical experience by collaborating within rapidly changing fields in their regions.

Do you want …
… to connect to people, places and ideas across different
countries?
… to experiment with new methods, tools and learn by doing
something together?
… to develop, grow and reflect in your role as cultural manager, civil society activist and also as an organisation?

INVITATION
Tandem is looking for 20 civil society and cultural activists to join the second round of Tandem 360°.

• Tandem is looking for organisations that can share the knowledge of their field/discipline AND they have some experience and interest in developing their local/regional/cross-sectoral cooperation.
• Participating organizations will get a chance to connect with change-makers across the region.
• In the spirit of ‘Doing-it-together’, the one-year programme offers a space to experiment with multidisciplinary project ideas, ecosystem mapping and inventive approaches to create change through culture.

Requirements

• Independent cultural NGOs, non-hierarchical and open-minded public institutions or civil society initiatives which are well rooted in a local community and have an established professional network
  AND
  are based in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia (including Libyan initiatives and collectives displaced in these countries).
• You should have the organisational and financial capacity, ambition and experience to engage in a one-year intensive international programme, as well as be ready to commit to providing sufficient work time of one employee in our organisation.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Within each Tandem programme, participants form cross-national partnerships of two, aka tandems. These Tandem partners organise working visits to each other’s’ cities and develop a joint pilot project which serves as a space for mutual learning and engagement.
• Throughout the year, participants meet for networking, workshops and peer-topeer exchange.
• At the end of the project there is a final presentation and the opportunity to connect with the growing Tandem network. The programme acts on different levels, offering professional development to individuals, as well as supporting organisational change processes through ecosystem mapping and creating a space to experiment with innovative ideas.

In short, Tandem offers:
• Mutual 12-day work visits at your Tandem partner organisation
• 4 Tandem network and training meetings with moderated peer-to-peer learning sessions and input by experienced trainers
• Methods and Tools for professional and organisational development
• Ongoing expert advice for the development of the cross-border collaborations
• Start-up funding of EUR 7,500 for a pilot project to develop in collaboration with your Tandem partner
• Being part of a network of more than 400 cultural activists across Europe and its neighbouring regions

Benefits

• You can — but do not necessarily have to — work for a classic cultural organisation. Nonetheless, you should be strongly interested in designing new formats of civil and cultural-social work that engage communities in reshaping their current and future realities. You should be motivated to explore unconventional ways of working together with a Tandem partner who you don’t know yet.
• You should be committed to identify and pursue new ideas for cultural work that addresses burning societal issues, both in your local community and beyond.

Timeline

The main activities within the programme are as follows:

Online info session (11 November 2020 at 13:00 – 15:00 CET)
• Partner Forum (end-February 2021)
• Placements (March 2021 – December 2021)
• Collaboration Design Meeting (early-June 2021)
• Ecosystem Base Camp (early-September 2021)
• Reflection Meeting (early-December 2021)

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Tandem Cultural Exchange Programme 2020/2021