Call for British Council Biennials Connect Grants 2025 is open now!!!
Biennials Connect Grants are designed to support visual artists in their participation in both UK and international festivals and biennials. These grants directly benefit artists by enabling essential opportunities for travel, which allows them to engage with diverse artistic communities and share their work on a global stage.
Get the Youth Opportunities iOS App here for the fully-funded opportunities.
Additionally, the grants facilitate the production of new work, encouraging creativity and innovation. Artists also gain valuable networking opportunities, fostering connections with peers, curators, and industry professionals. Furthermore, the program emphasizes skills development, providing artists with the tools they need to advance their practices. Through collaborations with biennial partners, artists can showcase their work, enhancing their visibility and advancing their careers in the art world.
Youth Opportunities invites you to join your preferred channel to get the latest updates directly to your messenger inbox.
1. Youth Opportunities: https://m.me/j/AbZTmgEzD1UchDte/
2. Fully Funded Conferences: https://m.me/j/AbZTfhFTiPCnXf2D/
3. Full Scholarships: https://m.me/j/AbbrjbkOMM6I68Cs/
4. Paid Internships/Jobs: https://m.me/j/AbaAskb6jFFnRser/
5. Circle: https://m.me/j/AbY0vVKSPJULUnE4/
Up to £9,500 is available for UK biennials and festivals collaborating with visual artists based in ODA* countries, as well as for international biennials and festivals located in ODA* countries that are collaborating with visual artists in the UK. There is also up to £5,000 available for UK biennials and festivals collaborating with visual artists from non-ODA* countries, as well as for international biennials and festivals located in non-ODA* countries collaborating with visual artists in the UK.
Please note that international biennials and festivals must be based in eligible countries. Additionally, you can apply for up to £2,500 in project access costs. These costs are aimed at removing barriers for d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent individuals to participate in the project. Examples of access costs might include hiring sign language interpreters, captioners, or personal assistants for individuals with disabilities.
Grants are being awarded to support the participation of international visual artists in biennials and festivals in the UK, as well as to facilitate the participation of UK visual artists in international biennials and festivals in eligible countries. Visual arts organizations that are not classified as biennials or festivals can apply if they partner with a biennial or festival. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate on applications, such as co-commissioning an artist.
These grants are specifically designed for biennial and festival organizations to support activities including travel, artwork production, networking, professional development, skills-building activities, and public programs for artists, such as residencies and events, including considerations for accessibility.
The lead applicant must be a biennial or festival based in the UK or internationally, or a visual arts organization partnering with a biennial or festival; individual artists are not eligible to apply.
Activities may take place online and/or in person. If in-person activities are planned, you must follow the latest guidance provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office for the relevant countries.
Core activities should take place between February 2026 and February 2027, with the final activity completed by the end of February 2027. Final reports and evaluations must be submitted by the end of February 2027, and audience figures must be reported before the end of the quarter in which your activity concludes.
Benefits
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
Eligibilities
Organisations applying must:
- Be one of the following:
- UK biennials or festivals supporting international visual artists’ participation
- International biennials or festivals supporting visual artists’ participation from the
UK - or other visual arts organisations collaborating with a biennial/festival.
- Be based in the UK or an eligible international country.
- 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 will ensure 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 from 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.
Application Process
- Applications should be submitted online, and you’ll need to create a free account on their website to complete your application.
- An application must be submitted by one lead applicant. The form has collaboration enabled, so you will be able to invite your project partner to collaborate on the form.
- If you would like an offline version of the application form, you can download one from their website. However, all applications must be made online via Good Grants. The offline form is a sample and may not reflect the final form you must complete. This will be dependent on your answers to some questions.
- For detailed application guidance, download their application toolkit.
- You’re welcome to attend an information session – this is optional.
- Complete the online application before the deadline of 14 September 2025, 23.59 (BST).
Application Deadline: September 14, 2025 (15 Days Remaining)
Apply nowOfficial link
