New Initiatives
New directions in culture
The Commonwealth Foundation was given a mandate by Commonwealth Heads of Government to support culture in 1979, and it has worked to support the cultural sector ever since. It has done this through a number of methods, including grant-making for exchange and performance, running a number of prize and award schemes, such as the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Commonwealth Short Story Competition and the Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Awards, and supporting cultural performances at the biennial Commonwealth People's Forum.
While these activities remain important, the Foundation realises that culture is central to its work, and is expanding its Culture and Diversity Programme, around the three main current objectives of increasing understanding and appreciation of and between different cultures; recognising and making better known talents; and supporting the increased use of cultural actions towards development and good governance.
Acting on the advice of an expert group which convened to review the Foundation's cultural programmes in Accra, Ghana in 2005, the Foundation is seeking to go both broader and deeper: to broaden its work to reach disciplines which have not previously received much Foundation support, such as cinema, music and theatre, and potentially food, fashion and sport, and to deepen the connections between its engagement with culture and the rest of its programmes, which support civil society in its work towards good governance, democracy and sustainable development.
The Foundation is currently increasing its support ot Commonwealth film and music-makers; expanding the scope of its grant-giving; developing its engagement with faith organisations, particularly to support faith-based and interfaith co-operation in development; and beginning to work in the area of cultural policy.
In music, the Foundation is currently consulting with interested parties, including other agencies that have worked with musicians, to develop a full programme for implementation in 2008/12. A likely focus is on performance, particularly interdisciplinary and cross-cultural performance, and on helping music-makers get exposure to a wider audience and live sustainable livelihoods.
For film, the Foundation is looking at take forward to fruition the idea of the Commonwealth Film Fund.
Click on the links for more information about our work with faith-based and interfaith organisations, and in cultural policy.
The Foundation would be happy to hear from organisations which can contribute to the development of these new areas, and from potential partners who may be able to work with the Foundation.
