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Funding Opportunity for African Extended Reality storytellers Announced

By Iminza Keboge
Published December 27, 2021

Sherry Dzinoreva, Meta’s Public Policy Programmes Director for Africa, Middle East, and Turkey.Creators of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality content across Africa have till January 7, 2022 to apply for up to US$30 000 grant and mentorship for boosting their work.

Applicants, who must be adults (aged 18 years and above) of African descent and living on the continent, should also have a track record of XR content creation and have a portfolio of work showing their creativity and innovation. They should also need to show how the proposed project will tell an exciting African story that changes stereotypical narratives about the continent. Projects can use 360 Video, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality.

The initiative of Meta in collaboration with Africa No Filter, the aim of the project that is titled Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds, is to Support Extended Reality storytellers to develop new and compelling content about Africa.

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“We’re excited to be partnering with Africa No Filter to launch a fund that brings together the best of the African tech ecosystem to showcase innovations for the future and tell positive stories about Africa,” says Sherry Dzinoreva, Meta’s Public Policy Programmes Director for Africa, Middle East, and Turkey. “Meta sits at the intersection of innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and social connection, and this investment is a vote of confidence in the strength of the African tech industry and its ongoing potential. I’m certainly proud that Africa will be helping to shape the metaverse experience from the start.”

Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds is said to be part of Meta’s focus on immersive technologies and Africa No Filter’s investments in innovative storytelling that shifts negative stereotypes about Africa.

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The initiative of Meta in collaboration with Africa No Filter, the aim of the project that is titled Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds, is to Support Extended Reality storytellers to develop new and compelling content about Africa.Moky Makura, Executive Director at Africa No Filter, says, “Virtual Reality has the potential to take storytelling to another level. In this new metaverse, audiences don’t just get to watch a story unfold, they get to live in it. This is an opportunity for African content creators to push the boundaries of their creativity and innovation.”

Delivered in collaboration with Electric South and Imisi 3D, participants will also get ongoing mentorship, production support, and opportunities to launch their projects in a virtual or in-person showcase, including the Electric South’s Creators Lab held in February 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Applications close on January 7, 2022 at 6:00 hours GMT. The programme runs February 13 – August 13, 2022. Participants must be available on these dates. The proposed project must also be completed within six months.

Interested organisations and individuals may apply for the opportunity online.

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