Africa-Europe Culture Program Launches with African Leadership at Its Core

Under the soaring, vaulted ceilings of the Goethe-Institut in Addis Ababa, a quiet but profound transformation in cultural diplomacy took root. The Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture (AEPC) officially launched its GBP eight million Sub-Saharan Component, ushering in what organizers hailed as a new era of equitable, cross-continental collaboration.



The landmark initiative aims to shift the dynamics of cultural cooperation between Africa and Europe—away from prescriptive models and toward a framework rooted in shared leadership, mutual learning, and respect. It prioritizes co-creation and dialogue, fostering deeper understanding and sustainable exchange between the continents.

Billed under the theme “Sub-Saharan Component: Connect and Create,” the launch drew senior representatives from the European Union, African Union, and diplomatic missions. At its core, the project is about rebalancing power in the cultural space—placing African perspectives, creativity, and leadership front and center.

“This is not about Europe dictating terms,” said Philina Wittke, AEPC Project Lead at the Goethe-Institut, during a press briefing. “It’s about African voices driving the agenda, while European partners listen, learn, and co-create as equals.”

The program is delivered through a consortium comprising the Goethe-Institut, Expertise France, and the Institut français, funded by the EU through the NDICI–Global Europe instrument. This structure enables swift rollout across multiple countries, while remaining flexible enough to respond to local priorities and cultural contexts.

A Four-Pillar Framework for Change

At the heart of the Sub-Saharan Component lies a four-pillar structure designed to promote cultural mobility, creative infrastructure, artistic production, and long-term collaboration.

The Mobility Support pillar will facilitate travel and exchange opportunities for 195 artists and 20 cultural professionals—both between Africa and Europe and within the African continent—to strengthen regional and international networks.

The Arts and Culture Spaces pillar provides grants to 25 organizations for structural development and funds 30 consortium-led residencies, with a strong emphasis on critical discourse and community engagement.

In Performing Arts, the initiative will support 70 touring grants and 10 long-term Africa-Europe collaborations, targeting emerging talent and professional capacity building.

Meanwhile, Visual Arts Connectivity offers 25 co-creation and research grants, aimed at boosting visibility and artistic exchange between African and European visual artists.

Organizers noted that implementation will prioritize linguistic inclusivity, gender equity—with a target of 50 percent female participation—and horizontal knowledge exchange rather than one-way transfers.

Economic Impact and Lasting Ecosystems

Beyond the creative sphere, the initiative recognizes the economic significance of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as drivers of employment, innovation, and sustainable development.

“This isn’t just about funding projects—it’s about building ecosystems,” said a senior EU delegate at the launch. “When African artists are equipped to compete globally, the ripple effects—employment, innovation, cultural sovereignty—are profound.”

To that end, the program supports professional development in areas such as digital marketing, international touring, and sustainable business models. It also aims to lay the groundwork for long-term networks and market access pathways that will endure well beyond the initiative’s 42-month lifespan.

A Continental Vision

The Sub-Saharan Component is one arm of a broader cultural strategy, complemented by two regional programs: the Southern Africa Component, which focuses on heritage narratives across six nations, and the Western Africa Component, aimed at strengthening festival internationalization across 15 countries.

Together, these programs form a GBP 30 million cultural cooperation framework under the EU’s NDICI–Global Europe umbrella. Each component is tailored to regional contexts while ensuring complementary approaches and avoiding duplication.

Dedicated AEPC offices in Burkina Faso and Johannesburg will anchor on-the-ground implementation, with outreach spanning more than 20 Sub-Saharan African nations. The programs target nonprofit organizations, artists, curators, and cultural professionals across diverse disciplines.

According to AEPC’s official factsheet, the initiatives aim to promote intercultural dialogue, diversity, and regional co-creation—both across Africa and between Africa and Europe. They also seek to build lasting partnerships among cultural institutions, platforms, and festivals.

Toward a Transformative Model

The AEPC envisions its model not merely as a cultural exchange, but as a blueprint for global collaboration built on equity. Echoing the African Union’s calls for cultural sovereignty and mutual respect, the program will host its next major gathering—a roundtable in Zanzibar on July 11—to delve into implementation strategies and shared goals.

“When culture is built on mutual respect, it doesn’t just connect continents—it transforms them,” organizers stated.



The AEPC Sub-Saharan Component is more than a funding mechanism. It represents a rethinking of cultural diplomacy—one where African leadership is central, and European partnerships are redefined not as benefactors but as collaborators. It seeks not only to connect but to recalibrate, building a shared future through the lens of culture.