Are you developing a cultural project connected to African worlds? MansA Lab offers tailor-made support to structure, equip, and grow your initiative. Join a committed creative ecosystem and take part in a collective dynamic that renews narratives and imaginations.
The call for applications is now open for the first cohort of MansA Lab, MansA's cultural and creative incubator, on the theme "New Narratives and African Worlds". The program targets emerging or developing cultural projects of all kinds: media, publishing, film and audiovisual, fashion, cross-media, or transdisciplinary initiatives. Applicants must be based in France, with special attention given to underrepresented territories: African diasporas, working-class neighborhoods, and overseas regions (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte).
What the Incubator Offers
The program is structured around three axes: personalized support combining mentoring and training in project management, strategy, business models, editorial and artistic content, communications, and fundraising; shared resources including production tools, legal advice, sector expertise, and access to workspaces; and strategic networking with institutional partners, cultural venues, funders, and actors in social and artistic innovation.
The 12 selected projects will be hosted at MansA – Maison des Mondes Africains (10th arrondissement of Paris), every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from November 2025 to June 2026 (8 months). Incubatees will have a dedicated workstation as well as privileged access to meeting rooms and programming spaces. They will benefit from tailor-made strategic support in a hybrid format, and will be introduced to institutional and financial partners. Finally, incubatees will become part of a dynamic network of committed cultural entrepreneurs.
The incubation fee will be €200 per month per project, including VAT.
This call for applications is now closed
Who is eligible to apply? The program is open to anyone of legal age, with no upper age limit, who resides in France (special consideration will be given to projects from Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Mayotte, and Réunion).
Types of projects accepted. Applications can cover a wide range of formats on the theme of "New Narratives and African Worlds": media (print, digital, magazines, platforms, webradio, podcasts, newsletters, photography…), publishing (fiction and non-fiction, comics, manga, webtoons…), film and audiovisual (web documentaries, web series, interactive fiction, feature films, production companies…), fashion, or cross-media and transdisciplinary projects including music, graphic design, or video games...
Selection criteria: gender diversity and inclusivity; the project’s stage of development (emerging or in progress); diversity of formats; editorial, technological, or media innovation; the potential to renew perceptions of the African world; a commitment to creating synergies with the MansA ecosystem; and the content’s connection to the African continent or its diaspora communities (the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Indian Ocean, etc.).
Number of projects selected: 12 projects.
Calendar :
Call for applications open: July 22 to September 12, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Webinar presenting the call for applications (procedures, timeline, eligibility criteria, answers to questions, etc.): Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. (Paris time) -> Registration link.
Interviews with the jury (in person in Paris or remotely): October 6–8, 2025.
Announcement of selected projects: mid-October 2025.
Program start date: November 2025.
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