Self-Organizations is a program that aims to provoke inventive ways of working and collaborating. The program offers support to projects where different arts practitioners take the initiative and join forces to define a mutual resource or interest that’s important for their work, and propose how to share or develop it. The overall purpose of the program is to incite productive conversations, encourage the development of bespoke protocols for collaboration, and push for new art experiences to take place. Eventually, through different experiments with self-organization, the value of collective sharing and generosity amongst arts communities may show itself to be more relevant than funds and structures. The program will involve a diversity of participants working according to the specific guidelines below in order to try different formats and methodologies. For this launch edition, we propose a preliminary set of project types, and this open call is reaching out to those interested in self-organizing under this program. The program will support projects by informal groups or collectives across four different categories as follows:

1. Informal Co-ops: Rather than replicating the same individual remedy for needs that are common, this program supports imaginative practical solutions for a mutual concern of a group. A minimum of four practitioners need to take the initiative to come together and identify a resource that they can share for a period of six months to one year, that can help them develop their own work. Examples include but are not limited to: a shared work studio, a music PA system, a video editing suite, a 3D printer, or hiring an assistant for the group. It is necessary that all the collaborators are involved from the start, and articulate their need of this specific resource for their own practice.

A maximum budget of US$6,000 will be available to cover the cost of this shared resource for approximately two selected proposals, starting from December 1, 2020 for no more than one year.

2. Private Audiences: As the use of public spaces and access to institutional venues becomes increasingly difficult, this program wants to make sure that practitioners can continue presenting and engaging with audiences. The program is designed for those interested in organizing art events in domestic and workplaces or other temporary private locations, where people can come together in small groups of peers, neighbors, friends, family, etc. The organization of the event must involve at least three people working collaboratively as curators or presenters, and can be a one-time event or a series that presents for example, but not limited to: a small exhibition, a performance, a dance piece, a concert, etc.

A maximum budget of US$1,000 will be available to realize the event/s for approximately three selected proposals, which can take place between December 1, 2020 and May 1, 2021.

3. Topical Assemblies: This program supports access to specialized intellectual or vocational knowledge where formal structures or public platforms for such learning are lacking. This category is for a group that wishes to come together and organize a collective discussion such as a seminar or workshop, on a specialized topic of their interest. Depending on the needs, this can be online or in-person, with or without invited guest speaker/s, however it must have a committed group of at least four people to develop it together. The assembly can be public or limited to the group.

A maximum budget of US$1,500 will be available for approximately two selected proposals, for activities that can take place between January 1 and May 1, 2021.

4. Your Ideas: We are also open to ideas that we have not considered and fall under the notion of self-organization. We are keeping this category open to hear from potential participants on what they want to initiate as part of this program. The proposal must be made by at least three collaborators, and the budgets will be determined by the specificity of the proposal but should not exceed US$4,000. One proposal will be supported in this category, and the timeframe will be agreed upon based the proposal’s specific needs.

*Due to the volatility of the current Covid19 crisis, if you are invited to participate in the Self Organizations program, then you commit to conforming your project to the prevailing sanitary advice and taking any needed precautions.

SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

In addition to complying with the general eligibility criteria that you can read here, please note the following:

• Arts practitioners from all disciplines and stages of their careers are welcome to apply.
• Priority will be given to proposals taking place within the Arab world.
• Institutions or already existing projects are not eligible to apply.

PROCESS

Mophradat’s team in collaboration with two external advisors will evaluation the applications based on how they align with the objective of the program.

• All applicants, whether selected or not, receive a response to their applications.
• Shortlisted participants will be invited for an online conversation to elaborate on their application before final selection is made.
• As we often receive a high volume of applications, Mophradat does not provide individual feedback explaining why an application was not selected.
• On selection, an agreement will be signed between the recipient and Mophradat.
• Project participants will be asked to commit to providing a narrative report at the end of their project to let us know what happened, help us understand their experience of the project, and how it fulfilled (or not) the overall objective of the program.

This program is part of our project “Distinct Voices”, which is partially supported by the Federal Foreign Office, Germany.

Due to the extraordinary circumstances the Beirut arts communities are living, we are launching this exceptional open call for projects on self-organizing in Lebanon only.

Launched in July, Self-Organizations is a new program that was initiated to provoke inventive ways of working and collaborating. The program offers support to projects where different arts practitioners take the initiative and join forces to define a mutual resource or interest that’s important for their work, and propose how to share or develop it.

This call for Self-Organizations in Beirut is proposing practitioners in Lebanon to use this program as a tool to cement collective sharing and generosity: Practices that have now proved to be more relevant than funds and structures amidst this situation of crisis upon crisis.

For this Beirut edition, we propose a preliminary set of eligible project types across three different categories as follows:

1. Informal Co-ops: A minimum of four practitioners need to take the initiative to come together and identify a resource/tool that they can share for a period of six months to one year, that can help them to develop their own work, pursue or restart their activity. Examples include but are not limited to: a shared functional workspace, a music or PA system, a video editing suite, a 3D printer, work tools, hiring an assistant or a shared childminder for the group. It is necessary that the people in the group are involved from the start, and that the benefits stay within the arts community.

The proposals should not exceed a budget of US$6,000, and the project start after November 1, 2020 and last no more than twelve months.

2. Group Actions: In the absence of reliable infrastructures, this category supports actions carried by groups having a shared concern. They can include actions to provide or have access to intellectual or vocational knowledge, or knowledge that can help the group address the various conditions hindering their practices and ability to work. Examples include: an assembly, a seminar or workshop on a specialized topic of their interest, activating a collective initiative, etc. The actions could happen online or in-person, be public or private, however they must be developed by at least three committed people together.

The proposals should not exceed a budget of US$2,000, and the actions can take place between November 1, 2020 and May 1, 2021.

3. Your Ideas: We are keeping this category open to hear from potential participants on what they want to initiate as part of this program that falls under the notion of self-organization in Beirut. The proposal must be made by a committed group of at least three people, and the budget will be determined by the specificity of the proposal but should not exceed US$4,000. The timeframe will be agreed upon based the proposals’ specific needs.

Two to three proposals will be selected within each of the three categories above, and a means of receiving the funds will be established.

*Due to the volatility of the current Covid19 crisis, if you are invited to participate in the Self-Organizations in Beirut program, then you commit to conforming your project to the prevailing sanitary advice and taking any needed precautions.

PROCESS

Mophradat’s team in collaboration with external advisors will evaluate the applications based on how they align with the objectives of the program and this specific call.

• All applicants, whether selected or not, receive a response to their applications.
• As we often receive a high volume of applications, Mophradat does not provide individual feedback explaining why an application was not selected.
• On selection, an agreement will be signed between the recipient and Mophradat.

This program is launched as part of our project “Distinct Voices”, which is partially supported by the Federal Foreign Office, Germany.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Applicants must be from or living in the Arab world.
• Applicants must be authors of creative writing including fiction, poetry, criticism, essay, and other artistic forms. These sabbaticals are not for academic writing, film, or journalism.
• Applicants must be published writers with at least two prior instances of publication.
• Applicants must provide a letter of interest from a publisher for the new work they will develop with this sabbatical. Innovative proposals in method and form will be given priority.
• Applicants must commit to taking leave of their day jobs for the entire sabbatical period (For those who are selected: If employed, a letter from their place of employment must be provided confirming the agreed time out).

APPLICATION

Applications must be submitted in English or Arabic and include:

• A writing sample of maximum 1,000 words from the unfinished manuscript you are planning to complete.
• A short bio (80 words).
• A complete CV including education, publications, and public presentations of your work.
• Details of your previous published writings including credits (these can be books, articles, essays…).
• A letter of interest from the publisher for the project you are planning to complete.

PROCESS

• All applicants, whether selected or not, receive a response to their applications.
• Due to the high volume of applications and the confidentiality of the selection process, Mophradat does not provide individual feedback explaining the reason an application was not selected.
• If selected, a grant agreement will be signed between the recipient and Mophradat.
• The sabbatical period should start between July 1 and December 1, 2020.
• Funds will be released in a two-stage process: 70 percent when the grant agreement is signed, and the remaining 30 percent at the end of the grant period upon submission of the completed manuscript and a short narrative summary of what was achieved.
• The grantee engages to visibly credit Mophradat for the publication of their work, and send copies of any printed material to its office in Brussels.