Deadline: 12-Nov-2025
Cultural Bridge is a collaborative funding initiative designed to strengthen partnerships between arts and cultural organisations in the UK and Germany.
The programme focuses on supporting organisations that place communities at the centre of their creative practice and work to connect art with social impact. Through collaboration, exchange, and co-creation, the fund seeks to foster cultural democracy by encouraging projects that amplify community voices, nurture creativity, and enable shared ownership of cultural expression and identity.
The programme aims to build and sustain a network of organisations that share knowledge, skills, and artistic approaches to address the challenges faced by communities across both countries. Cultural Bridge supports projects that explore innovative participatory methods across different artforms and engage with broader themes such as revitalising post-industrial regions, enhancing cultural access in underserved areas, celebrating grassroots activism, and reimagining public spaces as sites of creativity and connection.
For the 2026–2027 funding round, Cultural Bridge offers a total of £370,000 (approximately €430,000), divided across two funding tiers. Tier 1 provides up to £10,000 per partnership to support the development of new collaborations between UK and German organisations. Tier 2 offers up to £30,000 for existing partnerships to deepen their collaboration and co-develop projects. The programme anticipates awarding up to 20 grants across these tiers, depending on the quality and scope of submissions.
Eligible applicants include arts and cultural organisations based in the UK or Germany that have experience in social arts practice and in working closely with communities. Cultural Bridge particularly welcomes applications from smaller organisations that may not have access to sustained or large-scale funding, as well as those operating outside major cities—especially in rural or less populated regions. Projects that empower local communities, promote diversity and inclusion, and align with the programme’s thematic priorities will be given preference.
Cultural Bridge is jointly supported by seven partner organisations: Fonds Soziokultur, Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International, the British Council, and the Goethe-Institut London. Together, they aim to strengthen cultural cooperation, foster mutual learning, and inspire creative responses that bring communities closer across borders.
For more information, visit Cultural Bridge.
