Brave New Futures - Open Call

About the Open Call

Fine Acts is launching the Brave New Futures: MENA Strategic Imagination Labs – a 24-month experiment in bold thinking, radical creativity, and collective transformation. We are looking for a small cohort of just 12 visionary civic organizations from across the MENA region to take part. Unlike a typical capacity-building program, this is a space to breathe, question the status quo, and rethink what’s possible. Over two years, we’ll explore how imagination, art, hope, and creative play can unlock new approaches to civic work and systems change. In challenging times, imagination can feel indulgent. But it’s not – it’s survival. It’s resilience. It's a strategy. To build the tomorrow we want, we must first imagine it today. And while individual dreams can shape lives, it is the collective dreams that shape reality. So let this be an invitation – to imagine together, to dream beyond limits, and to begin designing the futures we deserve. The MENA Strategic Imagination Labs is a place to step outside the grind, reconnect with purpose, and dream together – about what could be, and how we get there. Over 24 months, the selected organizations will join a multi-phase program designed to strengthen imaginative capacity and spark new futures for civic space in the region.

What is Offered

A dynamic mix of online and in-person gatherings across MENA – offering respite and insight through peer learning, shared discovery, and co-creation. Prototyping creative solutions as a foundation for future strategies. Pilot “future/s-building” grants (10,000 USD) to experiment with creative actions or activations in your context. Creative collaborations with trailblazing artists and distinguished thinkers from the region and beyond. Ongoing coaching, reflection, and peer support. A co-created, open-licensed toolkit on applied imagination. A global platform for your work and ideas.

Requirements

Civic organizations – including those working in arts and culture, human rights, climate, peacebuilding, social protections, justice, youth, or other cross-cutting fields – based in and primarily serving the MENA region, with a strong focus on Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon. Organizations active elsewhere in the region are also welcome to apply, as long as one or more of these five countries is a key area of engagement. We are specifically looking for mid- to senior staff within these organizations – individuals positioned to influence how their organization tells stories, engages the public, and drives change.

How to Apply

Please fill in the application form provided on the website. The creative task section requires choosing 2–4 prompts and responding in up to 250 words each. The application also includes organization information, details about the applicant, and questions about the organization’s work and vision, and reasons for interest in the program. Confirmation and consent steps are also required.