More than 75 EmaSwati creatives, artists, cultural practitioners and youth representatives have received training designed to help them access international funding for cultural and creative projects.

The one-day Proposal Writing and Application Workshop, held at King Sobhuza II Park in Lobamba on September 16, focused on identifying funding opportunities, developing competitive proposals and preparing applications.

The training comes as a new EU-funded creative grants opportunity opens for practitioners working across arts, culture and heritage. Successful applicants in the programme’s second funding round can receive grants of €6,000 each, with applications closing on October 5.

The wider six-month programme will bring creative practitioners from different countries and disciplines together to develop new narratives around cultural heritage, creating opportunities for collaboration and international exposure.

The initiative puts renewed attention on Eswatini’s creative sector and the role of cultural practitioners in preserving heritage while developing contemporary artistic work.