The objective of the call is to build the capacities of cultural and artistic professionals and organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia through structured, time-bound job shadowing and on-the-job learning processes that directly contribute to professional and organizational development.
The Culture for Development project has launched the Job Shadowing Scheme Call for project proposals to allocate grants for the implementation of a capacity-building initiative that offers structured knowledge transfer.
The objective of this call is to build the capacities of cultural and artistic professionals and organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia by offering them hands-on, on-the-job training opportunities through learning from practice. By facilitating these peer-to-peer exchanges through direct, practical experience, the program enables professionals to develop their skills, deepen their understanding of the cultural sector, and foster future collaborations.
This call seeks to support initiatives that promote on-the-job learning and knowledge exchange between less experienced cultural workers or organizations and more established professionals or organizations, in order to develop professional competencies, foster future collaborations, and respond to specific developmental needs within the cultural sector.
Unlike standard internships, short-term employment, or operational support, Job Shadowing is based on a clearly defined learning process in a real work environment, with measurable professional development outcomes.
This call fosters practical skills development, cross-organizational collaboration, long-term partnerships, and stronger connections between emerging and established cultural actors, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and cohesive cultural environment in the Republic of North Macedonia. Job Shadowing is a sustainable and effective way to build capacities, as it promotes meaningful collaboration tailored to the specific needs and goals of both participants and host organizations.
Job Shadowing can be implemented through two main models:
● Internship model: Open to less experienced cultural workers from the Republic of North Macedonia (candidate) who engage in a clearly structured learning process under mentorship from the host organization. This model is NOT intended to finance standard internships, routine work positions, or administrative support roles.
● On-the-job training model: Where the organization hosts an expert, who contributes to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the organization’s work and staff performance through mentoring, skills transfer, and targeted capacity development activities.
The Culture for Development Project incorporates gender equality, diversity, social inclusion, environment and decentralization into all aspects of its activities and management. Gender equality is a mandatory grant criterion, requiring applicants to demonstrate how their projects promote this priority. Diversity and social inclusion should focus on supporting youth and women, and other marginalized groups.
Who CAN apply:
● Cultural and artistic organizations;
● Artistic collectives and initiatives;
● Civil society organizations that carry out cultural and artistic activities, even if this is not their primary area of activity;
● Other legal entities active in arts and culture (independent foundations, endowments, limited liability companies, and/or entrepreneurs).
Requirements:
● The applicant must be registered as a legal entity with the Central Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia;
● The organization must be registered under the Republic of North Macedonian laws;
● The applicants involved in the project’s implementation must have prior experience in the realization of cultural and artistic projects.
Who CANNOT apply:
● The applicant and/or individuals who in any way support or have supported discriminatory, radical, violent, racist, or nationalist behaviors and views;
● The applicant who is not registered in accordance with the laws of the Republic of North Macedonia;
● The applicant who has not settled their legal obligations regarding public contributions, taxes, and fees;
● Political, religious organizations and organizations founded by religious and faith-based organizations;
● Individuals;
● Cultural institutions founded by the Republic of North Macedonia or local self-government units;
● Representative offices of foreign organizations registered in the Republic of North Macedonia.
This call aims to strengthen the capacities of cultural and artistic professionals and organizations by supporting structured job shadowing exchanges that contribute directly to professional and organizational development.
Job Shadowing grants support less experienced cultural workers from the Republic of North Macedonia to learn from established hosts, or experienced professionals to share their expertise with host organizations from the Republic of North Macedonia. This flexible, demand-driven approach allows participants to choose partners based on their specific goals, ensuring relevant, tailored, and impactful exchanges.
Thematic priorities: There are no predefined thematic priorities for this call. The approach is demand-driven and designed to respond to the specific needs and interests of cultural professionals and organizations. Applicants are encouraged to define their own focus areas based on their goals, challenges, and development priorities.
Eligible activities for funding may include:
– Jointly exploring innovative artistic and/or cultural practices through co-creation of a cultural or artistic work/production (or multiple) with a strong educational dimension.
– Networking opportunities where directly connected to the learning objectives of the job shadowing exchange
– Enhancing competencies and professional development (peer-exchange, mentorship, on-the-job training, workshop, observation of work process, etc.)
– Targeted research and preparatory work directly linked to future collaboration or organizational development
The maximum funding available for project implementation is up to 178,500 MKD. The maximum duration of the Job Shadowing exchange is 4 weeks.
All required application documents must be submitted via [email protected]. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. There is no fixed submission deadline.
Email subject: Call Reference Number – Name of the organization
Required application documents:
– Project proposal (stamped and signed)
– Budget proposal (in Excel)
– Current Status (Tekovna Sostojba) not older than 6 months
Application documents are available in Macedonian, Albanian and English languages.