Short Description

Our Biennials Connect Grants are now offering grants of up to £9,500 to UK and international biennials/festivals in eligible countries.

Biennials Connect Grants support visual artists’ participation in UK and international festivals and biennials. The grants directly benefit artists by facilitating opportunities for travel, the production of new work, networking, skills building and showcasing through biennial partners. 

Eligibility

Organisations applying must:

  • Be one of the following:
    o UK biennials or festivals supporting international visual artists’ participation
    o international biennials or festivals supporting visual artists’ participation from the UK
    o or other visual arts organisations collaborating with a biennial/festival.
  • Be based in the UK or an eligible international country (please see the full list of eligible countries below).
  • Be primarily a visual art biennial or festival. Multi-arts biennials and festivals can apply, but they must demonstrate a focus on visual arts within their programme.
  • Be supporting artists over the age of 18. If artist travel is included in the project, the artists must be able to travel internationally on valid passports (organisations must arrange travel, transport, accommodations, insurance, and visas themselves).
  • Be supporting artists you have either not previously worked with or supporting new projects with artists you have worked with before.
  • Share the British Council’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and will embed best EDI practices into the activity.
  • Share the British Council’s commitment to paying artists fairly and ensuring artists are fairly compensated for their participation.
  • Applications by individual artists will not be eligible.
  • The core activity or biennial/festival presentation may take place in February 2026. The final activity and evaluation must take place before February 2027. Project proposals should have a timeline ending no later than February 2027.
  • Grant applications can be made for projects involving multiple artists, but only one application per biennial organisation can be submitted.
  • Festivals can receive a maximum of one Biennials Connect Grant per edition. If you received a grant for a previous or current festival, you can apply and receive another for a forthcoming festival but you cannot receive multiple grants in one festival edition.

Eligible Countries

Recipients of Official Development Assistance (ODA)*
Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Venezuela, and Peru
East Asia: The mainland of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Viet Nam, and Thailand
Middle East and North Africa: Egypt, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Algeria, and Morocco
Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Wider Europe: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan

Non-ODA
East Asia: Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea
European Union: France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Spain
Middle East and North Africa: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Oman

Submission Requirements

  1. Quick Eligibility Check
  2. Privacy Notice & Marketing
  3. Partnership Details
  4. Application Questions (see below)
  5. Budget
  6. Safeguarding
  7. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring Form – any information you supply in this form will not be accessed and will not inform any decision regarding your application.
  8. Declaration & Submission

How to Apply

Online Application

Program Benefits & Awards

Apply for up to £9,500:

– UK biennials/festivals collaborating with visual artists and/or organisations based in ODA* countries

– International biennials/festivals based in ODA* countries collaborating with visual artists and/or organisations in the UK

Apply for up to £5,000:

– UK biennials/festivals collaborating with visual artists and/or organisations based in non-ODA* countries

-International biennials/festivals based in non-ODA* countries collaborating with visual artists and/or organisations in the UK

Entry Fee

None

Location

London, United Kingdom

Timeline

  • Application Deadline: 14 September 2025

Website Link: https://arts.britishcouncil.org/get-involved/opportunities/biennials-connect-grants

Grant