British Council opens Connections Through Culture 2026 grants programme
The British Council has opened applications for its 2026 Connections Through Culture grants programme, supporting artistic collaboration between the UK and partner countries around the world.
Grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 are available for projects that enable cross-cultural exchange, creative partnership and long-term international collaboration. Applications must involve at least one UK-based partner and at least one partner based in an eligible participating country.
The programme is open to artists, creative practitioners, arts and cultural organisations, festivals and biennials, cultural professionals, creative hubs, networks and collectives, as well as organisations working across the arts, culture and creative sectors.
Projects can span a wide range of art forms, including music, theatre and dance, film, literature, visual arts, architecture, design, fashion and craft, and creative technology, including digital arts, XR/immersive work and games.
Eligible activity may include co-creation and collaborative artistic development, residencies and exchanges, workshops, panels and knowledge-sharing, research and development, performances, exhibitions, showcases, public programmes, audience engagement, digital innovation and capacity building.
For 2026, Connections Through Culture incorporates grants programmes formerly known as Biennials Connect and Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennials and Festivals Grants. It also replaces International Collaboration Grants as the British Council’s major arts grants programme for the year.
Participating countries include Mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Turkey, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, among others.
The maximum grant available depends on the partner country. Grants of up to £15,000 are available for projects involving Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Pakistan, Peru and Saudi Arabia. Grants of up to £10,000 are available for a wider group of countries including Mainland China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Applications opened on 17 June 2026 and close on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 23:59 BST. Successful applicants are expected to be notified from October, with project delivery taking place between December 2026 and December 2027.