The Cultural Center of the Inter-American Development Bank announced today that the Bank is accepting proposals through Jan. 31, 2006 for the financing of small-scale cultural development projects.
Applications should be presented to the IDB country offices based in the 26 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are borrowing members of the Bank.
One-time-only grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 are awarded on the basis of fulfilling a local need, contributing toward cultural values, stimulating economic and social activity in new and successful ways, supporting artistic excellence and contributing toward youth and community development.
The awards program is designed to encourage the development of innovative projects, preserve and recover traditions and conserve cultural heritage, among other goals.
The IDB may finance up to two-thirds of a single project. Local organizations are responsible for providing the remainder of the resources and supporting the project on a sustainable basis.
Forty-four projects were awarded financing in 2005. In the selection process a total of 911 applications were submitted to the IDB country offices, and of these 178 were forwarded to the Selection Committee of the IDB Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., for final selection.
Projects that received awards this year included those that promote community involvement in the protection of cultural heritage, protection of indigenous culture, and the outfitting of theater space for performances and workshops.