British Council starts new grant scheme

As part of British Council’s Festivals, the grant supports artistic collaboration and exchange between creative professionals and arts organisations in Wales and India and enables development of cross-cultural practice and new artistic work with scope to tour to arts festivals in India and Wales.

Through the scheme, organisations will be able to exchange sector knowledge, skills and business models to build a more sustainable and resilient festival sector in both countries.

Barbara Wickham OBE, director, British Council India, said, “Through our work in arts, we aim to strengthen the creative sector between India and the UK, helping organisations in both countries to connect, create and collaborate. Wales has a strong legacy of connections through arts with India and the new ‘Connections Through Culture: India-Wales’ grant will further strengthen this bond. We have a strong focus on the development of the festivals sector in both countries and we hope organisations from across India will be encouraged to apply for this grant.”

The programme supports international tour festivals by encouraging the development of new international opportunities and networks. Individual artists, arts organisations and festivals based in India or Wales are invited to apply for the grant by submitting co-created project proposals. Last date for submission of proposals is December 6, 2019.

#IndiaWales was a joint initiative between Wales Arts International and the British Council that supported more than 2,000 participants across 13 projects within applied arts, dance, film, literature, music and visual and applied arts and engaged audience members in Wales and India and reached over 4.9 million people through social media.