Deadline: 12-Aug-2026
The British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2026 grants support cultural partnerships, artistic collaboration and cross-cultural exchange between UK-based partners and participating countries. The programme funds creative projects that build international relationships, encourage co-creation, support knowledge exchange and strengthen collaboration across arts, culture and the creative sectors.
Funding of £5,000 to £15,000 is available per project or partnership, depending on the participating country. Eligible applicants include artists, creative practitioners, arts organisations, festivals, biennials, cultural professionals, creative hubs, networks, collectives and organisations working across diverse creative fields.
Programme Overview
The British Council Connections Through Culture 2026 grants support international cultural collaboration between the United Kingdom and participating countries.
The programme helps creative practitioners and cultural organisations build meaningful partnerships through shared artistic activity, exchange and co-creation.
It is designed to strengthen long-term creative and cultural relationships across borders.
Funding Available
Connections Through Culture 2026 provides grants ranging from £5,000 to £15,000 per project or partnership.
The maximum grant amount depends on the participating country.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available for partnerships involving selected countries, including:
Other participating countries may have different funding limits ranging from £5,000 to £10,000.
Main Objective
The main objective of Connections Through Culture is to support collaborative creative projects that build strong cultural links between UK-based partners and partners in eligible participating countries.
The programme aims to:
- Support new international cultural connections
- Encourage artistic collaboration
- Promote cross-cultural exchange
- Enable co-created creative projects
- Strengthen long-term partnerships
- Support shared learning and knowledge exchange
- Build relationships across arts, culture and creative sectors
- Encourage inclusive and accessible cultural activity
- Promote environmentally responsible and socially valuable creative work
Key Focus Areas
The programme supports international collaboration across arts and culture.
Key focus areas include:
- Cultural partnerships
- Artistic collaboration
- Cross-cultural exchange
- Creative co-creation
- Partnership development
- Long-term international relationship building
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Knowledge exchange
- Shared learning
- Inclusive cultural activity
- Accessible creative projects
- Environmentally responsible arts activity
- Socially valuable cultural work
- UK-international creative relationships
What Connections Through Culture Supports
Connections Through Culture supports projects that involve genuine collaboration between partners.
Supported activities may include:
- Co-created artistic projects
- Cultural exchange activities
- International creative partnerships
- Artistic research and development
- Knowledge-sharing programmes
- Collaborative workshops
- Digital or hybrid creative projects
- Cross-disciplinary cultural projects
- Artist-to-artist exchange
- Organisation-to-organisation collaboration
- Public-facing cultural activities
- Partnership development for future collaboration
Projects should demonstrate mutual benefit and shared creative development between partners.
Eligible Creative Areas
Connections Through Culture 2026 covers a wide range of creative and cultural disciplines.
Eligible creative areas include:
- Architecture
- Design
- Fashion
- Craft
- Creative technology
- Film
- Literature
- Music
- Theatre
- Dance
- Visual Arts
The programme welcomes projects across single disciplines as well as interdisciplinary and cross-sector creative work.
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants include individuals, groups and organisations working in arts, culture and the creative sectors.
Eligible applicants may include:
- Artists
- Creative practitioners
- Arts organisations
- Cultural organisations
- Festivals
- Biennials
- Cultural professionals
- Creative hubs
- Creative networks
- Collectives
- Organisations working across arts and culture
- Organisations working in creative sectors
Applicants should be able to manage the grant and deliver the proposed project in collaboration with an eligible partner.
Partnership Requirement
Every project must involve collaboration between:
- At least one UK-based partner
- At least one partner based in an eligible participating country
The partnership must be genuine, active and clearly explained in the application.
Partners should work together to design, develop and deliver the project.
Legal and Organisational Requirements
Where organisations are applying, partners must be separate legal entities.
Applicants and partners must meet legal, registration and funding management requirements in their respective countries.
This means organisations should be able to:
- Receive and manage grant funding
- Meet legal registration requirements
- Deliver project activities responsibly
- Provide appropriate documentation where required
- Work collaboratively with international partners
What Makes a Strong Partnership?
A strong Connections Through Culture partnership is based on shared creative thinking and mutual benefit.
Strong partnerships should show:
- Clear roles for each partner
- Shared decision-making
- Joint creative development
- Mutual learning
- Practical collaboration
- Cultural exchange
- Equal value for both sides
- Long-term relationship potential
- Clear communication between partners
The programme is not intended for one-sided delivery. It supports projects where partners work together meaningfully.
Co-Creation and Mutual Benefit
Co-creation means that project partners jointly develop ideas, activities and outcomes.
In a strong co-created project, each partner contributes skills, knowledge, context and creative direction.
Mutual benefit means that all partners gain value from the collaboration.
Benefits may include:
- Artistic development
- New audiences
- International networks
- Skills exchange
- Cultural understanding
- Creative experimentation
- Public visibility
- Future collaboration opportunities
Inclusive, Accessible and Responsible Cultural Activity
The programme encourages projects that are inclusive, accessible, environmentally responsible and socially valuable.
Applicants should consider how their project will:
- Include diverse voices
- Improve accessibility
- Reach underrepresented communities
- Reduce environmental impact
- Promote responsible cultural exchange
- Support social value
- Build meaningful public engagement
- Respect local contexts and communities
These priorities can strengthen the quality and relevance of the project.
Why Connections Through Culture Matters
International cultural collaboration helps artists, organisations and communities exchange ideas, build trust and create new forms of creative expression.
Connections Through Culture matters because it supports long-term relationships between the UK and participating countries.
The programme helps creative professionals develop shared projects that go beyond one-off activity and contribute to deeper cultural understanding, artistic innovation and international cooperation.
How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Application
Applicants should prepare a clear proposal that explains the partnership, creative idea, project activities and expected outcomes.
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility
Applicants should confirm that they and their partner are eligible.
The project must include at least one UK-based partner and at least one partner based in an eligible participating country.
Step 2: Choose the Right Creative Area
Applicants should identify the main creative discipline or disciplines covered by the project.
This may include music, film, literature, visual arts, creative technology, architecture, design, fashion, craft, theatre or dance.
Step 3: Define the Partnership
The application should clearly explain who the partners are and why they are working together.
Applicants should describe:
- Each partner’s role
- Each partner’s expertise
- How the partnership began or will develop
- How decisions will be made
- How partners will communicate
- How the collaboration will create mutual benefit
Step 4: Explain the Creative Project
The proposal should describe the creative idea in simple and direct language.
Applicants should explain:
- What the project will do
- What activities will take place
- Who will participate
- What will be created or shared
- How the project supports cultural exchange
- How the work will benefit both partners
Step 5: Show Co-Creation
The application should demonstrate that the project is jointly developed.
Applicants should avoid presenting the project as one partner delivering services for another.
The proposal should show shared creative input and joint responsibility.
Step 6: Describe Expected Outcomes
Applicants should explain what the project will achieve.
Expected outcomes may include:
- New artistic work
- Stronger international partnerships
- Skills exchange
- Audience engagement
- Public events
- Creative research
- Digital outputs
- Long-term collaboration plans
- Knowledge-sharing products
Step 7: Address Inclusion and Accessibility
Applicants should explain how the project will be inclusive and accessible.
This may include participation by underrepresented groups, accessible formats, community engagement or inclusive design.
Step 8: Consider Environmental Responsibility
Applicants should explain how the project will reduce environmental impact where possible.
This may include digital collaboration, local production, responsible travel planning, sustainable materials or low-impact event design.
Step 9: Prepare a Realistic Budget
The budget should match the funding limit for the participating country.
Applicants should request an amount between £5,000 and £15,000, depending on the country-specific maximum.
The budget should clearly link costs to project activities.
Step 10: Demonstrate Long-Term Value
A strong proposal should explain how the partnership may continue beyond the grant period.
Applicants should describe how the project could lead to future collaboration, wider networks or longer-term creative exchange.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:
- Submitting a project without a UK-based partner
- Submitting a project without an eligible international partner
- Failing to show genuine collaboration
- Presenting a one-sided project instead of co-creation
- Not explaining each partner’s role
- Providing vague creative outcomes
- Ignoring country-specific funding limits
- Not showing mutual benefit
- Failing to address accessibility or inclusion
- Providing a weak budget
- Treating the project as a one-off event without partnership value
- Not explaining how the collaboration will strengthen cultural relationships
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should:
- Clearly explain the partnership
- Show shared creative development
- Demonstrate mutual benefit
- Align with eligible creative areas
- Present realistic and meaningful activities
- Include clear outcomes
- Show cultural exchange and knowledge sharing
- Address inclusion and accessibility
- Consider environmental responsibility
- Provide a realistic budget
- Explain long-term relationship potential
- Use clear, direct and evidence-based language
FAQ
1. What are Connections Through Culture 2026 grants?
Connections Through Culture 2026 grants are British Council grants that support cultural partnerships and creative collaboration between UK-based partners and partners in eligible participating countries.
2. How much funding is available?
Funding ranges from £5,000 to £15,000 per project or partnership, depending on the participating country.
3. Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include artists, creative practitioners, arts and cultural organisations, festivals, biennials, cultural professionals, creative hubs, networks, collectives and organisations working in arts, culture and creative sectors.
4. What partnership is required?
Projects must include at least one UK-based partner and at least one partner based in an eligible participating country.
5. What creative areas are supported?
The programme supports Architecture, Design, Fashion and Craft, Creative technology, Film, Literature, Music, Theatre and Dance, and Visual Arts.
6. What should applications demonstrate?
Applications should show how partners will work together, what each partner will contribute and how the project will create shared outcomes through collaboration, exchange and creative development.
7. Which countries can receive up to £15,000?
Grants of up to £15,000 are available for partnerships involving countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Pakistan, Peru and Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
The British Council Connections Through Culture 2026 grants provide funding for international cultural collaboration between UK-based partners and participating countries.
With grants ranging from £5,000 to £15,000, the programme supports co-created projects across arts, culture and creative sectors.
Applicants should build strong partnerships, demonstrate mutual benefit, present clear creative outcomes and show how their project will strengthen long-term cultural relationships between the UK and participating countries.
For more information, visit Arts – British Council.