Selam is pleased to announce a call for applications from eligible organisations to become its implementing partner in Uganda for the Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) project.
Selam is an international organization with Pan-African initiatives headquartered in Sweden with regional offices in Addis Ababa and Nairobi. The organisation was created in 1997 and has since evolved into an international player, partnering with artists, cultural producers, the private sector, the media, institutions, researchers, and national and regional governments across the African continent as well in other regions in the world. Selam promotes cultural encounters within and across societies. We centre our work on the creative power of artists, producers, and other culture actors, and we strive to raise awareness of the potentials of culture to contribute to inclusive and democratic societies.
Selam is now looking for a new implementing partner in Uganda to work together on the CfCA initiative, implemented by Selam in partnership with the African Union (AU).
Background of the CfCA Project
The Connect for Culture Africa project is a five-year regional initiative (2023-2027) designed to strengthen cultural networks, advocate for increased public investment in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), and promote the role of culture in democratic, social, and economic development. The project is implemented in collaboration with local implementing partners in the project pilot countries.
The core objectives of CfCA are:
- Long-term objective: To contribute to an increased political will that translates to budget proposals, budget bills in some of the targeted countries, and in countries where the process is in a more advanced stage, in decision on increased budget allocation to the culture and creative sectors.
- Program Objective: To contribute to increased voice among culture actors, reflecting their different realities, enhancing their capacity to influence and participate in democratic and transparent budget processes aiming at securing resources to the culture and creative sectors
To achieve these objectives, the CfCA project work towards four integrated outcomes:
- Outcome 1: A consolidated, inclusive, and rights-based driven network advocating for investing in culture.
- Outcome 2: The network is engaged in an inclusive, age and gender representative, and constructive policy dialogue with regional and national duty bearers in at least five countries targeting national budget processes and culture policies.
- Outcome 3: Young women and men culture actors have successfully participated in regional and national creative residency programs enabling their skills development and empowerment and contributing to showcases used in national and regional advocacy campaigns
- Outcome 4: Demonstrated increased awareness among duty-bearers in targeted countries and the general public on the importance to invest in inclusive culture and creative industries.
Selam’s Overall Principles and Approach
Selam is guided by principles of professionalism, mutual respect, and diversity. As professionals we break ground and lead the way together with our partners.
Access to culture is essential to the fulfilment of equal rights and opportunities for all. We respect all persons as equal and actively fight all forms of discrimination. We highly value diversity based on different and changing needs and interests of the people we reach through our work, aiming at bridging gaps as we build a global movement together with our partners.
Our transboundary approach to culture sectors and the role of culture actors as enablers of cultural, social, democratic, and economic development are key features of the organisation. Selam bridges the gap between well established artists and producers and young female and male culture actors, opening space for new and underrepresented groups to participate in and benefit from culture developments.
We stress the importance of supporting culture and creative sectors with policy and infrastructure development. The sectors need articulated culture policies, artistic freedom, copyright, and public investment in culture institutions and infrastructure to fully develop their potential.
Culture actors need space to freely advocate for culture policies, support to the sector and for artistic freedom. Equally important is to enable culture actors to connect with our peers within and across different regions in the world. We combine the promotion of a vivid and diverse culture sector with job creation for particularly young artists and producers.
Selam’s Partnership Approach
Selam aims to build strong and mutual partnerships with different types of partners within civil society, private sector, governmental institutions, and regional bodies. Selam is a facilitator and connector between the different partners enabling spaces and areas for dialogue and other forms of interaction.
Selam aims to support effective locally owned projects that allow our partners to grow. This means encouraging flexibility, learning as well as close partner dialogue. There is need to ensure that partnerships with local partners find the right balance between support and control, building the capacity of our partners to enable more long-term collaborations and bigger project grants in the future.
With our civil society partners Selam contributes to
- Their capacity and organisational development enabling culture civil society organisations to build strategic alliances,
- Strengthen their networking and joint sharing of experiences and lessons learnt,
- Develop their advocacy skills through building capacities on:
- how to raise awareness and tailor campaign messages,
- how to collect evidence backing the advocacy work,
- how to engage with decision-makers and other key actors,
- Developing mobilisation, civic education, and outreach strategies, and how to mobilise resources for their work.
Partnership Selection
It is important that both Selam and the partners see the added value that the partnership will bring to both organisations, and that both parties agree that there is a solid and common ground from which the partnership can grow. Key aspects to consider before entering in a partnership are to ensure shared values, that both parties’ visions and missions are possible to combine, and that working methods are compatible. It is likewise important to openly discuss expectations and limitations of the partnership and assess each other’s capacities.
Once partners and Selam agree to collaborate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is established. The MOU outlines the nature of the relationship or commitment and does not have any legal or financial binding.
In this case, Selam is also planning to provide sub-grants to the partner, which will be managed by a separate partner agreement. Prior to the agreement, Selam undertakes a due diligence of the partner’s systems and procedures to ensure that they meet the conditions in Selam’s policies and procedures and the primary donor’s requirements (or have the potential to meet through support to system and capacity development).
Eligibility
Selam is seeking a partner in Uganda with whom the CfCA initiative will be implemented.
The ideal organisation should:
- Have legal rights to work in Uganda.
- Proven and documented experience in working with the culture sector as well as advocacy and policy work in Uganda.
- Have a well-established network within the Culture and Creative sector in Uganda.
*All sub-grantees need to be registered according to their organisational structure and national legislation and hold a bank account.
- Have proven experience in organising similar events in the given context (i.e., facilitating meetings, conferences, workshops, festivals and other types of events).
- Be familiar with Selam and the CfCA initiative.
Application Requirements
- Cover letter.
- Organisational profile.
- Copies of legal documents including:
- Registration certificate
- Tax compliance certificate
- Financial statements
How to apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit detailed CV(s) and a cover letter along with any other relevant documentation to: cfcafrica@selam.se no later than December 18 2025 .
For more information about the CfCA project, click here.
