Call for Connections Through Culture Grants for International Arts Collaboration 2026

Call for Connections Through Culture Grants for International Arts Collaboration 2026 is sponsored by British Council (HQ). Grants for international arts collaboration, fostering cultural exchange and partnerships. Bangladesh is among the eligible countries.

Connections Through Culture 2026 | British Council Arts Connections Through Culture 2026 Apply now for our new round of Connections Through Culture grants, supporting artistic collaboration between the UK and participating countries around the world. Bolero Bangkok City Ballet, Thailand. Credit: Bangkok City Ballet Applications are now open for Connections Through Culture 2026.

Apply by 12 August. Connections Through Culture (CTC) grants are designed to enable meaningful partnerships, cross-cultural exchange and long-term collaboration between the UK and participating countries.

Grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 are available to support creative practitioners, cultural professionals, artists, organisations, festivals, biennials, hubs and collectives to develop and deliver projects across a range of themes and art forms. In 2026, CTC incorporates grants programmes formerly known as Biennials Connect (Visual Arts) and Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennials and Festivals Grants .

Read our application toolkit and FAQs for more information. It is also our major Arts grants programme for 2026, in place of International Collaboration Grants . On this page you will find full details on how to apply, including information on participating countries, grant amounts, eligibility and assessment criteria, as well as a collection of resources to support you in your application.

Applications open: Wednesday 17 June 2026 Application deadline: Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 23:59 BST Notification of decision sent to applicants: from October 2026 Online information sessions: Tuesday 30 June and Wednesday 1 July. Register here or under the ‘Online information sessions’ section below. Project delivery must take place between December 2026* and December 2027.

*Please note: successful applicants must not start funded activity or incur grant-funded costs before a grant agreement has been signed. About the grants and how to apply Click to expand the sections below to read in-depth information on the grants and eligibility. Applications must involve collaboration between at least one UK-based partner and at least one partner based in an eligible participating country .

Each partner must be legally based in the country they are applying from at the time of application and throughout the project activity period.

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Mainland China, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, UK, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam.

Grant amounts for each country The maximum grant amount is awarded per project or partnership, not per partner. The grant must cover the full partnership activity, including costs for both the UK partner and the partner based in the participating country. Below are the grant amounts between UK-based partners and those in the countries indicated.

Up to £15,000: Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia. Up to £10,000: Mainland China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria, Palestine, Philippines, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Balkans (including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia).

Up to £6,500: South Africa Up to £5,000: Australia, New Zealand, Tanzania Eligible applicants may include: Artists and creative practitioners Arts and cultural organisations Creative hubs, networks and collectives Organisations working across arts, culture and the creative sectors.

* Applications involving projects organised by, or taking place as part of, Visual Arts, Architecture, Design, Fashion and Craft festivals should be made by the festival or biennial organisation, rather than by individual artists, designers or practitioners.

Projects can span a broad range of themes and art forms, including: Architecture, Design, Fashion and Craft Creative Technology, including digital arts, XR/immersive, and games What can the grants be used for? Download the Applicant Toolkit below for the full eligibility criteria.

Eligible activity may include: Co-creation and collaborative* artistic development Residencies and exchanges Workshops, panels, talks and knowledge-sharing activity Collaborative exhibitions, performances, presentations and showcases Festivals and biennials activity Showcasing activity (including biennale and festival participation, where the showcase constitutes a collaborative project between partners in the UK and participating countries) Public programmes and audience engagement Artist, designer, practitioner or participant development Capacity building and shared learning Interdisciplinary or cross-artform activity *For further clarification of our definition of ‘collaboration’ please see our FAQs page .

Online information sessions We are running four online information sessions for differnt timezones to support you with the application process and answer any questions. Register here for the session(s) relevant to your application. All times listed below are UK (BST).

Tuesday 30 June, 8am-9:30am BST ( BSL interpretation available) Tuesday 30 June, 3pm-4. 30pm BST General global information sessions Wednesday 1 July, 10am-11. 30am BST Global information sessions for Visual Arts, Architecture, Design, Fashion and Craft festival and biennial applicants.

Wednesday 1 July, 3pm-4:30pm BST Global information sessions for Visual Arts, Architecture, Design, Fashion and Craft festival and biennial applicants, and Creative Technology projects, including digital arts, XR/immersive, and games. If you require access provision to complete your application, please contact us through the Enquiry Form .

Please include appropriate details, such as the type of access provision requested, any estimated costs, a brief explanation of what the provision is needed for, and how it will support the applicant to complete the application. We encourage applicants to contact us as soon as possible so that we can respond to your needs in advance of the application deadline.

Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and we aim to respond within 3 to 4 working days. Frequently Asked Questions Have questions? Read our full list of Frequently Asked Questions, covering indepth information on eligibility and the application process.

If you have a specific question not covered in the FAQs, please contact us through our dedicated CTC Enquiry Form. Applicant Guidance Toolkit Before beginning your application, please download and read the below Application Guidance Toolkit in full, and visit our FAQs page above for further information. Connections Through Culture 2026 Applicant Guidance Toolkit.

pdf Hear from our Grants Managers and team of assessors on the application process, eligibility and criteria, plus tips on what makes a stand-out application. Application questions preview You can download a copy of the application questions to help you prepare your responses before, or alongside, completing your application in Good Grants.

Please note that this document is provided for preparation purposes only and cannot be submitted as an application. The questions displayed in Good Grants are the official application questions and may differ slightly where conditional questions apply. If you require any access support or alternative arrangements to complete your application, please contact us using the enquiry form .

Connection Through Culture 2026 - Application Questions. pdf Partnership Letter of Intent This template is provided to support applicants in confirming partnership arrangements at the application stage. Please complete the template, ensuring it is signed by all project partners, and upload alongside your application on Good Grants under Section 7: 'Partnership Collaboration'.

Connections Through Culture 2026 Partnership Letter of Intent. docx When you’re ready to apply, you can begin your application through Good Grants at the link below. Deadline for applications: 12 August 2026 at 23:59 BST Connections Through Culture 2026: FAQs Read our list of Frequently Asked Questions relating to the Connection Through...

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