Realizing Artistic Rights
and Freedom of Expression
The purpose is to establish a secure foundation for creativity by fostering a resilient supportive sector.
This fundamental vision driving the program is grounded in the principle that people should be empowered to freely express their creativity. Our dedication is focused on supporting and safeguarding individuals who aspire to enhance societies through aesthetic and intellectual contributions.
At a strategic level, Mimeta is supporting organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing the arts and media. Our primary focus revolves around elevating these sectors' influence in matters of rights, both politically and legally. We are committed to fostering professionalism, facilitating skills development, promoting the widespread distribution of free expression, and, above all, ensuring the enduring sustainability of the cultural sector.
Mimeta collaborates synergistically with dynamic partners who proactively engage with these critical issues on behalf of their respective sectors.
Supporting organizations committed to sector development yields far-reaching benefits that extend across professional, legal, economic, and social dimensions of civil society. These initiatives are uniquely equipped with specialized knowledge, expertise, and networks, enabling them to spearhead more effective and informed efforts. Recognizing the distinct challenges and opportunities within their sectors, these organizations become pivotal hubs for coordinating resources—be it funding, research, knowledge, or talent.
Initiatives of this nature serve as advocates for their sectors, articulating their interests to policymakers, regulatory bodies, and public communities. This advocacy plays an essential role in shaping favorable policies, regulations, and public perception. Furthermore, these organizations organize comprehensive capacity-building initiatives encompassing training programs, educational resources, and networking opportunities. By identifying and addressing risks and challenges faced by the sector, they contribute significantly to its resilience and growth. These initiatives often invest in research and are driving knowledge development within the sector. This can lead to the adoption of new processes, organizational models and impact modalities that enhance social change. Additionally, these initiatives may serve as secure spaces where professionals and activists can freely and safely realize their discussions, ideas, and productions.
Further strategic considerations:
"Fostering a resilient supportive sector" is not only a key element of our vision but can also be considered a strategic approach to achieving the broader goal of establishing a secure foundation for creativity. This strategy implies creating an environment where the sector as a whole is not only robust and adaptable (resilient) but also actively supportive of the individuals and organizations within it. By fostering such an ecosystem, we are addressing both the internal strength of organizations and the external support they receive, which aligns with the vision of providing a secure foundation for creativity.
Limitations:
The Realizing Artistic Rights and Freedom of Expression Program is crafted to reinforce organizations committed to sector development, advocating for practitioners within the specific artistic or media community. At the heart of the program lies the proactive engagement of sector stakeholders in vital elements such as hearings, communication processes, reporting arrangements, and designated meeting points. This commitment ensures the program's responsiveness to the ever-evolving needs and perspectives of the communities it serves. The participants of the Program plays a critical role in facilitating the inclusion of voices from the actual sectors, ensuring a comprehensive and nuanced representation in their initiatives.
Nascent projects and those in their initial stages
In adherence to our sector development strategy, Mimeta has strategically prioritized newer initiatives and early-stage endeavors emanating from well-established organizations. This deliberate focus aims to provide financial and professional support to nascent projects and those in their initial stages, fostering innovation and catalyzing growth within the sector. By also targeting emerging initiatives backed by established entities, Mimeta aims to leverage the valuable combination of fresh perspectives and the robust infrastructure and experience offered by seasoned organizations. This strategic emphasis underscores our commitment to nurturing a diverse and dynamic landscape within the sector, ensuring sustainable development and longevity for promising initiatives. Initiatives in nascent, early, and emerging stages will be identified and assessed within a partnership.
Limitations in geographies:
Since its inception in 2008, Mimeta has been steadfast in its dedication to advancing artistic rights and have had a focus on Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Over the years, Mimeta has established itself as a trusted advocate and ally for artists, cultural practitioners, and creative communities in these regions. Mimeta's extensive experience and understanding of these landscapes serve as arguments for the continuation of its work. However, Mimeta is not limited to these geographies, but longstanding commitment to advancing artistic rights in Africa and the MENA region, coupled with its established networks, institutional knowledge, and dedication to social justice, provides a compelling rationale for the organization to persist in its focus. If Mimeta is to expand our engagement to other regions, it should be done through partnerships with organizations that share our mission and have a proven track record of working effectively in those regions.
Proposed interventions:
The Realizing Artistic Rights and Freedom of Expression Program is focusing on building robust and thriving arts- and media sectors, by supporting organizations, fostering collaboration, enhancing education and skills, advocating for favourable policies, and facilitating networking within the sectors.
The following are indicative interventions for the Realizing Artistic Rights and Freedom of Expression program. All interventions will have a system of aligned reporting metrics:
Strengthening Sector Development Organizations:
Allocate support to organizations dedicated to the overall development and sustainability of the sectors.
Foster initiatives that contribute to the growth, innovation, and collaboration within the sector.
Collaborative Initiatives for Sector Growth:
Facilitate and support collaborative initiatives that amplify the impact of sector development efforts.'
Encourage partnerships and networking to create a cohesive and interconnected artistic and media communities.
Supporting Education and Skill Development:
Provide resources and support for education and skill development programs that empower artists, journalists, and other professionals within the sectors.
Advocacy:
Support advocacy campaigns focused on promoting policies and initiatives that contribute to a thriving ecosystem.
Support advocacy for the recognition of the broader professional communities at local, national, and international levels.
Supporting and Facilitation of Networking and Collaboration:
Establish platforms and events to facilitate networking and collaboration among artists, journalists, organizations, and stakeholders.
Encourage information exchange and joint initiatives that contribute to a dynamic and interconnected sector.
Support educational initiatives aimed at raising awareness and empowering artists about their rights.
Support development of programs that provide artists and media professionals with the knowledge and tools to navigate legal frameworks.
Promotion of Legal Frameworks:
Advocate for and promote robust legal frameworks that safeguard and uphold the freedom of expression and the artistic rights of creators.Support work towards the establishment and reinforcement of legal structures that protect creative expressions.
Combatting Censorship and Restrictions:
Provide active resources and engage in advocacy efforts to combat censorship and dismantle restrictions on freedom of expression.
Highlight the removal of barriers that impede journalists and artists from expressing themselves freely.
Support initiatives targeting artists at risk.
International Collaboration for Policy Influence:
Support the collaboration with international organizations to influence and shape policies that globally safeguard and promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom.
Work collaboratively on policy advocacy initiatives to ensure a unified, impactful voice on an both a local, regional and international scale.
Organization of the Activities:
Overall, the initiative aims to support artistic rights and freedom of expression through a structured framework that includes re-granting funds, capacity building, networking opportunities, and communication of best practices.
There will be two hubs, one in MENA and one in Africa South of Sahara. These hubs are run by separate Task Owners, understood as organizations with long record as organizations servicing on behalf of their constituencies in the art sector. Both hubs will provide re-granting of funds from the Program-Sponsors for supporting project interventions as described in this outline. The other task is providing capacity building on organization, management, and learning.
For the re-granting scheme there will be support for three jury-members in each hub, in addition to the secretariats. For the capacity building there will be support for main trainers on both Impact (MERL) Management and Finance, Compliance and Risk management and the real issue related to bringing the idea of artistic rights and the SDGs a step further, all within a structured framework. Mimeta will train the trainers, and also grantees, jury-members, and the secretariat on these issues, and thus be very close to the processes. An objective is to establish approaches, modalities and systems that is working throughout the processes and include all parties involved.
The annual meeting will constitute the networking platform for all stakeholders involved, like Sponsors, task managers, grantees, Mimeta team and other interested parties. There will also be established a communications service focusing on best practices on the matters in hand. These tasks are provided by another Task Manager to the Program. A media sector entity and funded from the Sponsors of the Realizing Artistic Rights and Freedom of Expression Program.
Summary:
Two Hubs: One in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and one in sub-Saharan Africa. Task Owners are established organizations with a history of serving the needs of the art sector in their respective regions.
Re-granting of Funds: Both hubs will receive funding from Program-Sponsors to re-grant to support project interventions in line with the outlined objectives.
Capacity Building: The hubs will also provide capacity building support.
Training and Support: Mimeta will provide training to trainers, grantees, jury members, and secretariat staff involved in the program.
Annual Meeting: An annual meeting will serve as a networking platform for stakeholders.
Communications Service: A communications service will be established to focus on sharing best practices related to the objectives of the program.
Organized as a program:
Mimeta is organizing the support as a program where change and its effect (benefit or gain) is the ultimate delivery. The program’s mission is to ensure that the desired gains are realized.
Programs have a different set of principles, management theme, roles, and processes than projects. It is designed to achieve a purpose and a set of gains (effects). It is not the size of the assignment, resources or scope that is leading. It is the focus. The set-up contains, and relates to, different initiatives, projects and efforts that adhere to the objectives and strategies of the program. Even efforts that are running independently from the program may be included in the measures of delivery, if significant. Tasks may be organized in a distributed manner, involving different expertise and entities, and the program has different roles, whereas the main ones are:
Sponsors
Participants
Management
As initial participants, Mimeta gives precedence to organizations that are significant contributors to the arts or media, working earnestly to elevate the sector's prominence. The dedication transcends specific disciplines, instead, it is rooted in the overarching objective of promoting the comprehensive development of the sector. These participants, once again, bring forth extensive networks that they incorporate in the program, at least for sharing ideas, views and perspectives on risks, management, progress, processes, knowledge building and sectorial change.
Program seen as a collective for capacity building:
The program´s concentrated efforts extend to supporting both structural aspects, by the support facility, and the refinement of activities that are performed, by capacity development support and schemes. This entails not only strengthening the operational foundations of involved parties but also addressing the intricacies of their missions —providing guidance on navigating policy processes, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring the sustained impact of the program´s collective endeavors. Mimeta is dedicated to fostering a robust ecosystem within the collective of participants enabling the program to play a significant role in the sustainable growth and advancement of the sectors for participants and their networks.
The focus of these partnerships of participants and networks may include:
1. Needs Assessment:
Strategy: To conduct a thorough needs assessment to understand the specific requirements, challenges, and aspirations of participants in different regions and contexts.
Implementation: To engage in direct conversations, surveys, and research to gather insights into their organizational, operational, and programmatic needs.
2. Tailored Capacity Building:
Strategy: To develop tailored capacity-building programs that address the identified needs of the participants. This could include training sessions, workshops, and resources to enhance their organizational and programmatic capabilities.
Implementation: To collaborate with experts and professionals to design and deliver targeted capacity-building initiatives.
3. Financial Support:
Strategy: To provide financial support in the form of grants, funding opportunities, or assistance in accessing resources. Support participants and their networks financial sustainability through innovative funding models and long-term partnerships.
Implementation: To establish grant programs, facilitate connections with potential funders, and offer financial management guidance.
4. Networking and Collaboration:
Strategy: To facilitate networking opportunities and collaboration platforms for partners to connect, share experiences, and explore potential partnerships.
Implementation: To organize events, conferences, and virtual forums where organizations can exchange ideas, foster collaborations, and form strategic alliances.
5. Policy Advocacy Support:
Strategy: To offer support in navigating and influencing cultural policy processes. Advocate for policies that benefit the media and the arts and cultural sectors and provide guidance on effective advocacy strategies.
Implementation: To provide resources, training, and mentorship on engaging with policymakers, crafting impactful messages, and participating in policy dialogues.
6. Research and Data Support:
Strategy: To assist participants in conducting research, collecting data, and leveraging insights to inform their programs and advocacy efforts.
Implementation: To establish partnerships with research institutions, offer training on research methodologies, and provide access to relevant data sources.
7. Technology Integration:
Strategy: To promote the integration of technology to streamline operations, enhance communication, and improve the efficiency of participants.
Implementation: To provide guidance on adopting digital tools, organizing technology workshops, and facilitating participants with tech experts.
8. Mentorship Programs:
Strategy: T establish mentorship programs connecting experienced professionals with participants to provide guidance, share knowledge, and foster leadership development.
Implementation: To facilitate mentor-mentee connections, organize mentorship events, and create a supportive mentorship framework.
9. Monitoring and Evaluation:
Strategy: To implement robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact of support programs and identify areas for improvement.
Implementation: To regularly review and adapt support initiatives based on feedback, performance metrics, and the evolving needs of participants.
10. Flexibility and Adaptability:
Strategy: To maintain flexibility in support programs to adapt to changing circumstances, emerging challenges, and evolving priorities.
Implementation: T regularly reassess the landscape, seek feedback, and adjust strategies and support mechanisms accordingly.
By combining these strategies and tailoring them to the specific contexts of the participants, Mimeta can maximize its impact in supporting the growth, resilience, and effectiveness of these crucial organizations in the media and arts and cultural sectors, not only by providing financial support, but also in the direct involvement in processes and the management of the program.
Program Management:
Board of Mimeta
The board of Mimeta is involved as a responsible party for the good governance aspects of the Program. They have the authority in delegation of duties and the board constitutes the body for complaints and notifications within the Program.
Program Owner:
The executive director of Mimeta assumes the crucial role of program owner, being primarily accountable for ensuring that the program achieves its goals. Possessing deep roots within the artistic rights sector, the program owner brings experience, professional competence, and the authority required to lead and inspire the program management group throughout the entire lifecycle—from the initiation phase to the realization of results and gains.
Operational Program Board:
Comprising the program owner, the program manager, and designated task-owners, the Program Board serves as an operational management group dedicated to supporting the program owner in successfully delivering the program.
Program Manager:
Tasked with the initiation and overall management of the program's progress, the program manager is responsible for bringing the program's benefits to fruition. This includes managing dependencies, coordinating activities, and resolving resource conflicts among the various projects and measures implemented by the program.
The Impact Manager:
The assigned Impact Manager will perform regular monitoring and evaluation, including feedback mechanisms and periodic reviews, and help ensure that the initiative remains on track and can adapt to changing circumstances. Additionally, The Impact Manger will perform and share qualitative insights from stakeholders through surveys, interviews, and case studies that can provide a deeper understanding of the initiative's impact.
Reporting and Learning:
Knowledge Dissemination: Measure the dissemination of knowledge regarding artistic rights. This can include the creation and distribution of reports, publications, or educational materials.
Training and Capacity Building: Assess the extent to which the initiative contributes to the knowledge development of stakeholders, including decision-makers, through training programs, workshops, informational sessions, dissemination of publications etc.
Engagement:
Stakeholder Engagement: To track the level of engagement from various stakeholders, including arts and culture sectors, human rights organizations, and authorities. Increased collaboration and support signify successful engagement.
Advocacy Impact: To measure the impact of advocacy efforts towards decision-makers, funding institutions, and relevant authorities. Assess policy changes or increased awareness that can be attributed to the initiative's advocacy work.
Processes:
Program Participation: To monitor the number of organizations, individuals, and entities actively participating in the programs’ processes. Increased participation indicates a growing network of support.
Timely Implementation: To evaluate the timeliness of implementing key processes outlined in the initiative. Delays may indicate potential challenges in achieving the main objective.
Outcomes:
Number of Supported Organizations: To quantify the number of organizations benefiting from increased funding as a direct result of the initiative's efforts.
Impact on Artists: To assess the impact on artistic rights, considering factors such as increased safety, improved working conditions, and enhanced opportunities for artistic expression.
Strategic Alignment:
Alignment with Main Objective: To evaluate the degree to which the initiative's processes align with and contribute to the overarching main objective of giving people their right to free creative expressions!
Strategic Priorities Mapping:
To assess how the programs’ processes align with the strategic priorities, growing an organizational infrastructure to the sectors, identified through mapping activities, ensuring a coherent and focused approach.
Responsibility: The Impact Manager has the operational responsibility for the Impact assessments and reporting and of designing, follow-up, reporting and publishing the assessments.
Financial management, Compliance and Risk:
A Finance, Compliance, and Risk Manager in this context plays a crucial role in ensuring the financial health, regulatory compliance, and risk resilience throughout the program while contributing to its strategic development and success. These are key responsibilities associated with the Task:
Financial Management:
Budgeting and Planning: Develop and manage budgets aligned with program goals and objectives – and systems that is shared om all levels of the program.
Financial Analysis: Conduct financial analyses to inform sponsors, participants, and management, for decision-making and resource allocation.
Financial Reporting: Generate regular financial reports for all internal and external stakeholders.
Resource Mobilization: Explore and secure funding opportunities to sustain and expand the program.
Compliance Management:
Policy Development: Establish and update financial policies and procedures in compliance with relevant regulations and the standards decided upon in the program.
Audit Preparation: Ensure readiness for internal and external audits, addressing any compliance issues throughout the participants involved in the program.
Regulatory Compliance: Stay informed about regulatory changes and ensure adherence to legal requirements.
Contract Compliance: Oversee contracts and agreements to ensure compliance with terms and conditions.
Capacity Building: The Task is to involve all participants in these processes, establish routines and build a common reporting structure.
Risk Management:
Risk Assessment: Identify potential risks to the program's financial and operational stability.
Risk Mitigation: Develop and implement strategies to mitigate identified risks.
Crisis Management: Develop contingency plans for potential crises affecting program operations.
Stakeholder Communication:
Communication Strategy: Develop and execute communication strategies related to financial, compliance, and risk matters.
Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to address concerns and ensure transparency
Capacity Building:
Training Programs: The task is to develop and implement training programs with program participants on financial management, compliance, and risk.
Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions to enhance understanding of financial practices and compliance requirements.
Strategic Planning:
Strategic Alignment: Align financial and compliance strategies with the overall strategic goals of the program
Decision Support: Provide financial insights to support strategic decision-making within the program.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Collaborate with Program Teams: Work closely with program teams to integrate financial considerations into program planning and execution.
Interdepartmental Coordination: Coordinate with other program teams, as the Impact Task, to ensure cohesive and aligned organizational operations.
Continuous Improvement:
Process Optimization: Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement changes for increased efficiency.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish systems for monitoring and evaluating financial, compliance, and risk management effectiveness.
Ethical Leadership:
Promote Ethical Practices: Foster a culture of ethical behavior and compliance within the program.
Integrity: Uphold high standards of integrity in all financial and compliance-related activities.
Adaptability:
Adapt to Change: Navigate and lead the program through changes in the external environment or internal structure.
Program Owner will assume responsibility for the financial management of the program, ensuring its efficient execution. Concurrently, it will monitor mechanisms aligning with the program's objectives, even if beyond the scope of financial oversight.
While certain funders may express reluctance to reallocate their assets through the program, they express eagerness to engage actively in and derive benefits from the program's objectives, discussions, working methodologies, and the ideas, initiatives, and proposals identified by the Program. In such cases, these funders are obligated to provide reports back to the Program, serving as a criterion for their ongoing participation. The financial aspects of the program include accounting, allocations, transactions and reporting in line with best practices for financial management and compliance. Additionally financial management report on:
Total Funding Raised: Quantify the amount of funding secured for participants. This provides a clear quantitative measure of the initiative's financial objective.
Funding Growth Rate: Evaluate the rate at which funding for participants has increased over specific periods. This metric demonstrates the initiative's contribution in generating financial support.
Operational responsibility: Finance, Compliance and Risk manager.
Sponsors:
These organizations are providing essential financial resources for the Program. Each sponsor actively participates with the shared goal of realizing the Program's objectives in an informed, cooperative, effective, and coordinated process.
Trust in the synergies derived from cooperation
Their commitment is grounded in trust and is emphasizing principles of good governance and sound financial management. Sponsors recognize the value of impact management, encompassing robust reporting, the generation of knowledge, and a culture of continuous learning, as significant and beneficial outcomes arising from their active participation in the initiative. They also have trust in the synergies derived from cooperation.
Participation for special purposes
Sponsors can make direct investments in various facets of the program, such as re-granting schemes, advocacy campaigns, knowledge development, program management, impact management, or for specific activities and projects or within limitations like a geographical focus that adhere to the sponsors´ focus.
Reporting as requirement
Another level of engagement involves sponsors who value the of cooperation and synergies from it, but also uses their participation for identifying proposals or participants for direct funding, independently of the program's mechanisms and services. However, while participating in the program, and thus align with its objectives and strategy, it is essential that sponsors are open for reporting requirements from the program also in such instances.
Clarifying the sponsors' position at the start and keeping this clear throughout the program period is central to program management.
Participants:
Representatives from the participants is a main group included in the process leading up to defining the Program, its design, and priorities. Also, the continuous engagement of participants is central to the Program´s success. These are organizations and individuals that share the ideas of the defined Program and are willingly to invest in making it stronger.
Participants are mainly implementing organizations eligible for financial support, part of the constituencies of the implementing organizations, and their grantee networks, or other interested parties that may contribute to the benefit of the program, like representatives of the research community on artistic rights. They may be nominated as members of representative bodies in the program, have responsibilities for designated tasks or take part in the program assurance processes. In addition to activities designed for engagement or coordination of efforts, the program will provide capacity-building support, training programs, networking opportunities and mentorship initiatives open for the participants.
