NEWF (Nature Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers) and E·CO / Encounter of Collectives are launching a new partnership to support 12 interdisciplinary collectives from Ibero-America and Africa with production grants of €5,000 each.
The selected projects will explore time, territory, memory and ancestral knowledge through collaborative visual storytelling, culminating in an in-person encounter and residency at NEWF’s eKhaya centre in Sodwana Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
E·CO is an international programme designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and collective creation across disciplines, with a focus on visual narratives that rethink how communities understand their past, present and possible futures. Funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), E·CO is organised by its Network of Cultural Centres in collaboration with the VIST Foundation and NEWF.
Through this partnership, collectives from Ibero-America and Africa will receive production grants, mentorship from leading practitioners, and the opportunity to collaborate in a shared space dedicated to artistic, environmental and social inquiry.
“Through this partnership, we are not only supporting projects, we are nurturing long-term communities of practice,” said Noel Kok, Executive Director of NEWF and National Geographic Explorer. “By bringing collectives to eKhaya in Sodwana Bay, we’re creating a space where conservation, memory, identity and environment can be explored through powerful, locally rooted visual narratives that shift how stories about our continent and our world are told.”
Since its inception, E·CO has become a leading meeting point for visual production in Ibero-America, fostering networks that open new pathways for photography and visual narratives. The most recent edition received over 1,200 applications involving more than 4,800 people from 22 countries, consolidating E·CO as one of the most widely participated calls for visual narratives in the region.
E·CO/26 Programme Highlights:
12 Production Grants of €5,000: Each Interdisciplinary
collective working with visual narratives in Ibero-America and Africa will
receive funding to carry out their submitted projects.
Mentorship and Production Support: Selected collectives will be supported throughout their creative process by mentors working at the forefront of visual storytelling, fostering collective reflection and strong peer networks.
Encounter and Residency at eKhaya, Sodwana Bay, South Africa: The awarded projects will culminate in an in-person encounter and interdisciplinary residency at NEWF’s eKhaya centre, a hub for training, research and cultural immersion that brings together more than 300 fellows focused on transforming narratives about Africa from within the continent.
Collaborations like this are essential to amplifying diverse voices, building resilient creative communities, and reshaping how our stories are told across continents. Interested collectives can find full details and apply via the official E·CO call for projects at https://eco.vistprojects.com/en/
For more information visit: https://www.newf.co.za/
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