British Council opens Connections Through Culture grant applications
The British Council has launched the 2026 cycle of its Connections Through Culture (CTC) grants programme, which supports artistic collaboration between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh.
The programme provides seed funding for bilateral creative collaborations, cross-cultural exchanges and institutional partnerships between the UK creative sector and 35 participating countries, including Bangladesh.
"At the heart of the British Council's mission is a profound belief in the transformative power of cultural exchange," said Stephen Forbes, Country Director, Bangladesh, British Council.
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"The Connections Through Culture grants programme builds long-term meaningful partnerships between our two countries by enabling our artists and creative practitioners to engage directly in co-creation and collaboration," he said.
The programme follows the 2025 cycle, in which 127 grants were awarded globally across 19 countries, including 7 projects in Bangladesh.
Applications for the 2026 cycle are open to creative practitioners, cultural professionals, artists, creative hubs, festivals, biennials and arts organisations.
To be eligible, projects must demonstrate meaningful collaboration involving at least one UK-based collaborator and one partner legally established in a participating country, such as Bangladesh.
The British Council will host four information webinars to help applicants understand the application criteria and develop competitive proposals. Registration is required for webinar participants.
General sessions will be held on 30 June 2026, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm and again from 8 pm to 9:30 pm. British Sign Language interpretation will be available for the evening session.
Another session will be held on 1 July 2026, from 3 pm to 4:30 pm, focusing on festivals and biennials of visual arts, architecture, design, fashion and craft.
A further session on creative technology projects, including digital arts, XR, immersive media and games, as well as festivals and biennials of visual arts, architecture, design, fashion and craft, will be held on 1 July, 2026, from 8pm to 9:30pm.
All times are Bangladesh Standard Time.
Under the 2026 programme, applicants with artistic and cultural projects connecting the UK and Bangladesh may apply for grants of up to Tk24.45 lakh each.
Eligible activities include co-created projects, residencies, research and development, workshops, collaborative exhibitions, performances, public programmes and other forms of international cultural exchange.
Applicants have been advised to visit the British Council website to download the 2026 application toolkit, example application form and frequently asked questions before applying.
The application deadline is Thursday, 13 August 2026, at 4:59 am Bangladesh time.
