The EIB Institute Partnership: How European Funding Put Instruments in Tunisian Schools

Tunisia88 is a joint program of Action et Développement Solidaire, a Tunisian NGO, and 88International. From Phase I onward, the EIB Institute, the cultural and educational arm of the European Investment Bank Group, joined as a founding supporter. That partnership helped put instruments, training and a national choir program into Tunisia's public school system.

What the EIB Institute does

The EIB Institute supports cultural, educational and social programs across Europe and neighboring countries. Its focus is on projects with lasting impact, programs that build something durable rather than funding a single event. Tunisia88 fit that profile: a structured, multi-phase program aimed at permanent presence in every public high school in Tunisia.

The Institute's involvement brought more than money. It brought international credibility at a time when the program was still proving itself, and a network of connections across Europe that opened doors for collaborative performances and international visibility.

What the support funded

• Instruments for clubs in the first phase, particularly in governorates with limited school music resources.
• The national choir program, which requires significant coordination, transport and production support.
• Alumni training programs, including the early Training of Trainers cohorts.
• International collaborative performances that brought Tunisian choristers in front of European audiences.

IFA and Phase II

Phases I and II also ran in cooperation with the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, or IFA, a German cultural relations institution. IFA's expertise in cross-cultural exchange programs complemented the EIB Institute's support, giving Tunisia88 a strong bilateral European foundation in its growth phase.

Moving toward Tunisian funding in Phase III

Phase III is funded primarily by Tunisian sponsors. This is a deliberate part of the program's trajectory: Tunisia88 was designed to eventually be sustained by Tunisian institutions and companies, not permanently dependent on external funding. The shift is underway.

The EIB Institute remains a partner and continues to support the program's international dimension, including press coverage and collaborative performance opportunities. Its early support is part of why Tunisia88 reached the scale it now has.