UK/Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 for Artists

The UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 will bring together artists, creative organisations, cultural institutions, and audiences from the United Kingdom and Nigeria to develop partnerships, collaborations, exchanges, and new creative work across all artforms. The programme aims to strengthen long-term cultural relationships, open new markets, support artistic innovation, and showcase UK and Nigerian creativity to international audiences.

UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 – Overview

The Season is designed to create meaningful and lasting connections between the creative sectors of the UK and Nigeria.

It provides opportunities for artists and organisations to work together through creative collaborations, cultural exchanges, exhibitions, performances, research, professional development, and new commissions.

Rather than focusing on a single artistic discipline, the Season welcomes proposals from a broad range of creative and cultural sectors.

What Is the UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028?

The UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 is a bilateral cultural initiative designed to strengthen creative relationships between the two countries.

The programme aims to:

• Celebrate UK and Nigerian creative talent.
• Build long-term cultural partnerships.
• Create opportunities for artists and organisations to collaborate.
• Open new domestic and international markets.
• Encourage artistic exchange and professional development.
• Support new creative commissions.
• Promote research, policy development, and knowledge exchange.
• Connect creative practitioners with new audiences.

The Season is intended to generate relationships that continue beyond individual projects or events.

Key Focus Areas

The programme is structured around several major areas of cultural and creative development.

Cultural Heritage, Identity and Infrastructure

Projects can explore cultural heritage, identity, cultural infrastructure, and the ways creative practice contributes to communities and societies.

Potential activities could include:

• Heritage projects.
• Cultural research.
• Community-based creative activities.
• Projects exploring identity.
• Development of cultural infrastructure.
• Interdisciplinary work connecting heritage with contemporary practice.

Market Access and Mutual Growth

The Season encourages partnerships that help creative practitioners reach new audiences and markets in the UK, Nigeria, and internationally.

Projects may support:

• Market development.
• Creative distribution.
• International touring.
• Business development.
• Audience development.
• New commercial and cultural partnerships.

Creative Collaboration and Partnerships

Collaboration is central to the Season.

Applicants can develop projects involving:

• UK and Nigerian artists.
• Cultural institutions.
• Creative businesses.
• Universities.
• Arts organisations.
• Producers and curators.
• Cross-sector partners.

Projects should demonstrate meaningful collaboration rather than simply presenting work from one country in the other.

New Artistic Commissions

The programme can support the development of new artistic work created through UK–Nigeria collaboration.

This could involve:

• New performances.
• Visual art commissions.
• Music projects.
• Film and digital work.
• Theatre and dance.
• Literature.
• Fashion.
• Architecture.
• Interdisciplinary creative projects.

Research, Policy and Knowledge Exchange

The Season also supports intellectual and professional exchange across the cultural sectors.

Activities may include:

• Research projects.
• Policy discussions.
• Knowledge-sharing events.
• Conferences.
• Seminars.
• Industry forums.
• Professional exchanges.
• Research publications.

Eligible Artforms and Creative Disciplines

The programme is open to all artforms and creative disciplines.

Potential areas include:

• Music.
• Film.
• Visual arts.
• Fashion.
• Literature.
• Digital and creative technology.
• Theatre.
• Dance.
• Performing arts.
• Architecture.
• Craft.
• Cultural heritage.
• Interdisciplinary practice.

Applicants are not limited to traditional arts categories where their proposed activity demonstrates a meaningful connection to UK–Nigeria cultural exchange.

How Can Participants Take Part?

There are several ways artists and organisations can participate in the Season.

Co-Producing New Work

UK and Nigerian partners can collaborate to develop and produce new creative works.

Presenting or Exhibiting

Existing or newly developed work can be presented to audiences through exhibitions, performances, screenings, or other public platforms.

Touring and Distribution

Projects may involve touring creative work between the UK and Nigeria or distributing creative content to new audiences.

Artist Residencies and Professional Exchanges

Artists and creative professionals can participate in residencies, exchanges, and opportunities to work alongside peers and institutions in the partner country.

Research and Policy

Participants can contribute research, policy discussions, and knowledge-sharing activities relating to the cultural and creative sectors.

Industry Events

Organisations can convene:

• Conferences.
• Forums.
• Networking events.
• Industry showcases.
• Professional development events.

Skills Training and Mentorship

Projects can provide training, mentoring, and knowledge transfer to emerging and established creatives.

Who Is Eligible?

The programme welcomes applications and participation from a broad range of UK and Nigerian creative and cultural stakeholders.

Eligible applicants may include:

• UK-based cultural organisations.
• Nigerian cultural organisations.
• Creative businesses.
• Cultural institutions.
• Arts-specific higher education institutions.
• Government agencies.
• Diaspora-led organisations with genuine UK–Nigeria connections.
• Individual artists.
• Curators.
• Producers.
• Consortia.
• Cross-sector partnerships.

Individual artists, curators, and producers responding to the opportunity should have a named UK or Nigerian partner or a clear plan for identifying one.

Partnership Requirement

Cross-border collaboration is an important feature of the Season.

Applicants should demonstrate a genuine connection between the UK and Nigerian creative sectors.

A strong partnership should explain:

• Who the UK and Nigerian partners are.
• What each partner will contribute.
• How responsibilities will be shared.
• Why the collaboration is valuable.
• How audiences in both countries will benefit.
• How the relationship could continue after the Season.

Individual applicants without an existing partner should provide a credible plan for finding a suitable UK or Nigerian collaborator.

Why the UK–Nigeria Cultural Partnership Matters

The Season creates opportunities for artists and creative organisations to move beyond one-off cultural events and develop lasting professional relationships.

It can help participants:

• Reach new audiences.
• Develop international networks.
• Access new markets.
• Exchange artistic knowledge.
• Develop new creative work.
• Build institutional partnerships.
• Strengthen professional skills.
• Explore new technologies and creative approaches.
• Increase international visibility.
• Create opportunities for future collaboration.

How to Develop a Strong Project

Applicants should develop proposals that demonstrate genuine collaboration and clear creative or cultural value.

Step 1: Identify the Creative Idea

Define the artistic, cultural, research, or professional-development idea you want to pursue.

Explain the problem, opportunity, or creative objective behind the project.

Step 2: Identify a UK or Nigerian Partner

Find an organisation, institution, artist, producer, curator, or other relevant creative professional whose expertise complements the project.

Step 3: Define the Collaboration

Explain what each partner will contribute.

Avoid presenting the project as a simple exchange where one partner merely hosts or presents the other’s work.

Step 4: Select the Appropriate Activity

Determine whether your project will involve:

• Co-production.
• Exhibition.
• Performance.
• Touring.
• Residency.
• Research.
• Professional exchange.
• Training.
• Mentorship.
• Industry events.
• New commissions.

Step 5: Explain Audience and Market Benefits

Identify the audiences that will benefit and explain how the project can create opportunities for wider engagement or market development.

Step 6: Demonstrate Long-Term Impact

Explain how the partnership, skills, creative work, or professional relationships developed through the Season could continue after 2028.

Tips for Applicants

A strong proposal should make the UK–Nigeria relationship central to the project.

Consider the following:

• Build a genuine partnership: Clearly explain why the UK and Nigerian partners need to work together.
• Show mutual benefit: Demonstrate value for participants and audiences in both countries.
• Be specific: Clearly describe activities, participants, outputs, and expected outcomes.
• Highlight innovation: Explain how the project introduces new artistic, technological, cultural, or professional approaches.
• Consider sustainability: Show how relationships and results can continue beyond the Season.
• Think internationally: Consider how the project could create opportunities beyond the UK and Nigeria.
• Include emerging talent: Where appropriate, provide opportunities for younger or emerging creative practitioners.
• Demonstrate cultural relevance: Connect the project to the programme’s focus areas and wider UK–Nigeria cultural relationships.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid proposals that do not demonstrate meaningful bilateral collaboration.

Common weaknesses include:

• Proposing a project involving only one country.
• Failing to identify a meaningful partner.
• Treating the programme as a simple travel opportunity.
• Providing little explanation of mutual benefits.
• Focusing only on an individual event without a longer-term vision.
• Failing to explain audience engagement.
• Not connecting the project to one or more Season focus areas.
• Providing vague descriptions of roles and responsibilities.
• Overlooking opportunities for professional development and knowledge exchange.

FAQ

What is the UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028?

The UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 is a cultural initiative designed to connect artists, creative organisations, institutions, and audiences from the UK and Nigeria through artistic collaborations, exchanges, commissions, research, and professional activities.

Which artforms are eligible?

The Season is open to all artforms and creative disciplines, including music, film, visual arts, fashion, literature, theatre, dance, architecture, craft, digital and creative technology, cultural heritage, and interdisciplinary practice.

Who can participate?

Eligible participants can include UK and Nigerian cultural organisations, creative businesses, institutions, arts-specific higher education institutions, government agencies, diaspora-led organisations, individual artists, curators, producers, consortia, and cross-sector partnerships.

Do individual artists need a partner?

Individual artists, curators, and producers should respond with a named UK or Nigerian partner or provide a clear plan for finding a suitable partner.

What types of projects can be developed?

Possible activities include co-producing new work, exhibitions, performances, touring, distribution, artist residencies, professional exchanges, research, policy activities, industry events, skills training, and mentorship.

Does the programme support new artistic commissions?

Yes. New artistic commissions are one of the Season’s key focus areas, allowing UK and Nigerian creatives to develop new collaborative work.

Why is collaboration between the UK and Nigeria important?

The Season is intended to create lasting cultural and professional relationships, expand international networks and markets, encourage knowledge exchange, and increase opportunities for artists and creative organisations in both countries.

Conclusion

The UK–Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 offers a major platform for artists, cultural institutions, creative businesses, and other practitioners to develop meaningful cross-border collaborations across a wide range of disciplines. The strongest opportunities will be those that demonstrate genuine UK–Nigeria partnership, mutual benefit, artistic or cultural innovation, audience engagement, and potential for lasting relationships beyond the 2028 Season.