Application Deadline:  23:59GMT 18 November 202

Grants now available to support arts organisations to collaborate internationally

British Council are offering grants of up to £50k to organisations in the UK and selected countries overseas to collaborate digitally on international projects.

We have always supported international artistic collaboration through our work. In response to increasing restrictions on global travel due to Covid-19, and rising concerns about the sustainability of face-to-face collaborations, we are now looking for new ways to foster these international connections. 

The Digital Collaboration Fund aims to address this challenge. Through a series of grants, we are supporting organisations to devise new virtual ways of working internationally, in turn creating a climate-friendly approach to international collaboration and artistic exchange. 

Grant

• Grants of up to £50k are available to organisations in the UK and selected Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries to collaborate on digital projects. 

Eligibility

• The fund is open to arts and culture organisations and higher education organisations with an arts and culture focus.
• Applications must be a partnership between at least one UK organisation and one organisation based in one of the countries listed below.
• There must be one lead applicant, but this does not need to be the UK organisation. 
• Whilst the funds are designed to benefit the artistic community, applications will only be accepted from legally registered organisations and collectives. Applicants must have a registered business bank account. 
• We will accept applications for multilateral projects, with the focus on the programme being delivered mutually across the UK and in overseas countries. 
• In general, funding should be split 60/40 between the UK and the other countries. The lead partner should get no more than 60% of the funding and at least 40% of funding should be distributed in one or more of the countries listed below.  

Eligible Countries

UK in partnership with:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia) Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Funding Available

 There are grants of between £10-20k and £40-50k available in the following three areas:

1. Research and development grants: to research and develop proposals for new virtual collaboration projects
2. Restart grants: for existing projects that are currently on pause due to Covid-19, to help organisations restart them via digital means 
3. Collaboration grants: for new projects with a focus on virtual collaboration and other new ways of working.

Applicants can either apply for a small or large grant for projects that align with the three areas above. The funding will be allocated as follows:

• Small grants of 10-20k GBP – 4 grants awarded per area (12 total)
• Large grants 40-50k GBP – 5 grants awarded per area (15 total)

Project Types

• Virtual art residencies
• Virtual exhibitions or showcases
• Virtual conferences
• Online art and cultural archives
• Creative collaborations
• Research & development of project ideas
• Digital games
• Mixed, augmented and virtual reality projects

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund