Biennials Connect Grants Program

Deadline: 10-Nov-22

British Council Visual Arts is offering grants of up to £10,000 to UK and eligible international biennials/festivals to showcase contemporary visual artists’ work.

The grants will not only support global Biennials in their ambitions to work with UK visual artists, but it will also offer grants to UK organisations to support international visual artists as well. The grants will directly benefit the artists through the biennial organisers by facilitating opportunities for travel, networking, professional development and skills building.

The Biennials Connect programme promotes cross-cultural exchange and collaboration by providing opportunities for artists and biennial organisers to connect, collaborate and build meaningful partnerships across the globe.

Funding Information

Grants may be requested for a value of up to £10,000 to cover specific costs in relation to the presentation of work by UK artists (for international biennials) and international artists (for UK biennials) including to support D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent needs or unusual/atypical childcare requirements for artist participation
Grant applications may be made for more than one artist to participate, but only one application per biennial organisation may be submitted.

Eligibility Criteria

This grant is for biennial organisations specifically to support travel, networking, professional development and skills building activities, or public programme for artists such as residencies and events as well as access requirements.
Activity may take place online and/or in person
If face-to-face activity is planned, applicants must follow latest guidance provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office for the relevant country/countries: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
It is not for individual artists, and it is not designed for research and development
They are particularly interested in applications by biennial organisations supporting artists whose practice is collaborative, cross-cultural or community-based
Applicants must be made by biennial organisations that:
- Are UK biennials supporting visual artists’ participation from Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipient countries OR
- Are biennials in Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipient countries supporting visual artists’ participation from the UK
- Supporting artists over the age of 18 and those artists are able to travel internationally on valid passports (organisations must arrange travel, transport, accommodations and visas themselves)
- Supporting artists they have not previously worked with
- The core activity or biennial/festival presentation may take place after the end of March 2023, but the final activity and evaluation must take place before March 2024