Call for Applications | Freedom Vibes Academy 2025

Freedom Vibes Academy will be organized in 3 phases as follows:

In-person Training in Kano

The in-person training is a 3-day workshop in Kano designed to train emerging artists and culture activists in the theory and practice of advocacy through the arts. Selected participants will attend practical and interactive workshops, discussion groups, and civic engagement activities facilitated by leading cultural policy experts, veteran artists, human right lawyers and civil society organization leaders from Nigeria and around the world. The modules covered include The Concept of Artistic Freedom, Introduction to Human Rights, Advocacy and Campaign Strategies, Project Management Basics for Cultural Advocacy, Fundraising for Cultural Advocacy, African and International Human Rights Instruments. Through the training, participants will develop their leadership skills. There will be special interactive sessions in which participants will have the opportunity to meet and network with veteran artists, leaders from the Nigerian and African creative industries as well as international cultural policy experts to learn from best practices. This component of the Academy allows participants to engage in group cultural activities like performances and showcases.

Mentorship

After the in-person training, participants will return to their respective communities and continue to participate remotely in 2-3 hours of monthly virtual mentoring/online meetings to further address questions arising from the in-person training to deepen their understanding.

Project

All participants will be required to propose a project to be implemented after the Academy. While all participants will be encouraged to implement their projects, only the best 4 projects will be selected for funding.

The 4 selected graduates will work on individual projects that promote freedom of expression and democracy, focused on their own field of art for presentation/showcase or performance at Freedom Vibes events. Projects can be new or existing activities that can be recreated and showcased at Freedom Vibes.

At the end of the Academy, participants will be inducted into Freedom Vibes Alumni Network to promote artistic freedom and democracy in Nigeria.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must:

• be between the ages of 20-35 years (age requirements may be waived for 2-3 candidates with impressive track record that can be shared with younger participants)
• be socially and politically conscious artists or culture activists in the field of music, film, comedy, visual arts, theatre, literature/poetry, etc
• be living and working in Nigeria
• have a strong interest in and demonstrated commitment to addressing social and political issues using their creative talents
• have at least 3 work samples (songs, movies, comedy skits, literary works, theatre plays, drawings, paintings or other artistic expressions) that address social or political issues
• have devices required to sufficiently participate in virtual meetings/video calls (once in a month)
• be available to commit to 2-3 hours of online mentorship per month for 3 months

BENEFITS

• Participants will gain skills on best practices in art and activism and will be exposed to local, regional and international opportunities to develop their works and promote democracy in Nigeria
• The program will cover transportation expenses for all selected participants. Return flights will be booked only for limited number of participants from outside Northwest region.
• Hotel accommodation and feeding will be provided for all selected participants

• Each selected participant will receive a small per diem payment to cover incidental expenses during the in-person component in Kano

• internet connectivity expenses will be covered for the virtual/online mentorship component to facilitate seamless participation
• The 4 best individual projects will be supported financially and showcased at Freedom Vibes events

DEADLINE

Application deadline is Friday 13^th December 2024. Successful applicants will be notified before the end of December 2024.

To submit application, follow the link below