Art Moves Africa – Retracing Roots and Tracing New Routes: Mobility and Touring in North Africa

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Country-Specific Information
· Foreign currencies can no longer be withdrawn in
Tunisia. As such, local organizations can no longer
pay invited artists in currencies other than dinars.
Tunisian organizations can no longer pay in euros,
which means that even if we invite an artist, we can’t
pay them. Even if there are structural mobility funds
that can be used to cover the artist to come to Tunisia,
the problem is that the central bank no longer grants
money for cultural activities. There’s a cash deficit. –
Béatrice Dunoyer, program director, L’Art Rue, Tunis*
· The weakening of the dinar is also placing important
constraints on artists.
Tickets within Africa are too expensive. We can get a
ticket from Tunis to Paris without any problem, but to
go to Mali, it’s 1700 dinars off the bat and the currency
is in a free fall. For an artist to live, to prosper, it’s very
difficult if they don’t have support for the flight or their
stay. It’s very difficult for an artist to meet his/her needs. –
Cyrine Gannoun, theatre actor and director, Director,
Théâtre Al-Hamra/Centre arabo-africain de formation
et de recherche théâtrales, Tunis*
Transport of artworks
· There are restrictions on the types of goods that may
be transported outside of Tunisia. Artworks and heritage
items cannot not be taken outside the territory
without authorization from the Ministry of Culture.
Visas
· Several respondents noted that Tunisia’s visa policy
is subject to frequent changes, which are in turn difficult
to track.
· Visa restrictions are getting tighter and tighter for
travel to Europe and are growing with MENA countries
such as Egypt and Lebanon.
Lack of infrastrucure
· Several artists noted that they do not have sufficient
access to competent and motivated cultural operators
to assist them in searching for funding and preparing
their funding applications.
· According to Shiran Ben Abderrazak, executive director
of the Fondation Rambourg, there is a strong
desire for training for cultural managers. To meet this
demand, the Université Tunis-Dauphine launched a
Master’s in cultural engineering this year, and the
Institut des Hautes Études Commerciales-Carthage
and the Fondation Rambourg are in the process of
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creating a continuing education program in
cultural management.
Restrictions on freedom of expression
· Freedom House rates Tunisia as “free”. However,
control continues to be exerted in covert
ways, for example through the ceilings imposed
on withdrawals of dinars and expenses in
foreign currencies (see “Currency” above).
The state has passed new laws on associations
in an attempt to fight against organizations that
were laundering money – the money was going
to the extremists. Among other laws, there is
now a very strict limitation on daily withdrawals
of dinars (an association cannot withdraw
more than 500 dinars/day, or 150 euros). It’s a
golden opportunity to smother civil society as a
whole. – Béatrice Dunoyer*
· More explicit cases of censorship have also
been documented, for example with the police
closing down an exhibit at Maison de l’Image
in 2017.
Lack of identification to Africa and racism
· Tunisia portrays itself as an open country.
However, nearly all respondents agreed that
racism permeates Tunisian society. The history
of slavery has yet to be unearthed, and
black Tunisians from the South continue to be
treated as second-class citizens. In its extreme
forms, this racism is expressed in discrimination
and violence against black Tunisians, and
students and other immigrants from other
African regions.
· In the artistic community, respondents report an
awkwardness about Tunisia’s African identity
and a mistrust towards other Africans.
We have huge issues with racism here. Black
people are considered second-class citizens. It’s
horrible. [First, there are] the black people who
come from the South, who are Tunisian, and who
already face an atrocious level of racism. Then,
we have lots of Sub-Saharan students, from Côte
d’Ivoire, from Senegal, and all those who have
fled their countries. The average Tunisian is a
profoundly racist person. – Malek Sebaï, dancer
and choreographer, co-founder, Association
Hayyou’Raqs, Tunis*