Open Letter to Germany’s Cultural Foundation · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Safia Dickersbach (@ArtsSafia) challenges a new programme dedicated to foster “German-African cultural relations”:
3. The Kulturstiftung claims to support the new African initiatives in the area of contemporary and innovative art. But on the other hand:
a. Africans are not allowed to apply for the funds directly.
b. The African partners are only allowed to apply together with an institutional partner in Germany. The funding guidelines reveal the reason to this: “The German partner, as the project coordinator, has to assume responsibility for ensuring that all funds are expended as contractually agreed upon with the Federal Cultural Foundation.” In other, simpler, words: The Africans are not trustworthy.