Biennials Connect Grants

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. Countries eligible to apply are Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients. Applications are welcome from UK biennials/festivals showcasing work by contemporary visual artists from eligible countries and from biennials/festivals in eligible countries showcasing work by contemporary UK visual artists.

We recognise that the core activity or biennial/festival presentation may take place after the end of March 2023, but that the final activity and evaluation must take place before March 2024.

About the Grant

Since 2016, Visual Arts has supported global biennials to facilitate relationship building as an investment that may lead to future activity through the Global Biennials Fund. The grant supported 70 UK artists at international biennials. This updated offer, Biennials Connect Grants, builds on the legacy work of the Global Biennials Fund and has been devised as part of the Visual Arts programme, Biennials Connect.

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.

Key Dates

Grants

• 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.

Who can apply?

• 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
• We are particularly interested in applications by biennial organisations supporting artists whose practice is collaborative, cross-cultural or community-based

Eligibility Requirements

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

How to Apply

Please apply HERE

The following questions are on the online application:

1. Please explain how this grant will benefit your organisation 
2. Please explain how this grant will benefit the artist(s) 
3. Please outline the planned activity specifying how it will be delivered (both online and/or in person) and how you envision the activity will promote cross-cultural exchange and collaboration/partnerships 
4. Provide a statement about the biennial organisation, planned 2023-2024 programme and estimated audience engagement online and in person 
5. Provide a statement about the artist and confirmation of their participation
6. A detailed budget outlining how the requested grant amount will be spent

If you have any questions, please contact: visual.arts@britishcouncil.org with the email subject heading: Biennials Connect Grants - query

Selection Process 

The deadline for applications is 11:59pm GMT Thursday 10 November 2022

No assessment will be made of the writing style. Applications will be assessed against answers to the three application questions and eligibility requirements. They will be reviewed by a panel comprised of British Council Arts staff.

Successful applicants will be notified the week commencing Monday 12 December 2022.

We regret that due to the number of applications received, we will not be able to provide feedback for unsuccessful applicants, but all applicants will be contacted even if they have not been selected.