Here is an amazing opportunity for African artists and creatives. Applications are now being accepted for the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Arts Cultural Exchange program organized by the British Council to provide grants to cultural organizations, festivals, artists, and creative between the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom (UK) to create art, build networks, collaborate, and develop markets and share artists’ work with audiences

The application is open to artists, arts organizations, festivals, arts professionals, creative sector researchers working across all art forms including Architecture, Design and Fashion, Film, Literature, Music, Theatre, and Dance in addition to Visual Art.

The grants are divided into three categories, namely:

Research: Grants of up to £5,000 to undertake research between SSA and UK arts and creative sectors. Research may take the form of meeting with potential arts partners, finding out more about the arts ecosystem in a particular country, gaining an understanding of artistic trends, meeting artists, and/or attending events and festivals.

New Connections: Grants between £5,000-£10,000 to support new or early-stage collaborations between artists, arts professionals, and partners in SSA and the UK. Projects can include research and development but must include at least one public event, online and/or in-person (in line with COVID regulations in the country).

New Art Co-Creation: Grants between £20,000-£30,000 o support larger-scale collaborative projects by individuals or organizations in SSA and the UK. Projects should result in new art being created and shared with audiences online or face to face. Applicants should already have established working relationships with their partners and a track record of delivering collaborative projects.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants according to the categories are divided into countries as follows: 

Research: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), Zambia, Zimbabwe

New Connections: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), Zambia, Zimbabwe

New Art Co-Creation: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales

NOTE: Both the New Connections and New Art Co-Creation require having one Sub-Saharan Africa and one UK partner.

The following is the criteria to meet for eligible applicants:

• The call for applications is open to artists, cultural professionals, festivals, creative sector researchers working with audiences predominantly from 18-35 years.
• Applications may only be made in the eligible countries. There is no preference whether the lead partner that applies is in Sub Saharan Africa or the UK.  Partner organizations are seen as mutual applicants.
• The grant will be paid to one organization, however, to ensure equitable distribution of funds between partner organizations, the budget should ensure a split of around 50% / 50% of the grant award between 2 partner organizations, or no more than 60% / 40%.
• Diversity: projects working primarily with Women, LBGTQ+, and/or Disabled artists will be favorably scored under the diversity section of the application.
• Artforms/disciplines: Literature, Visual Arts, Music, Film (including Gaming, Virtual and Augmented Reality), Theatre and Dance, Architecture, Fashion, Design.

The deadlines for application are as follows:

Research: Rolling application till 1 February 2022

New Connections: 8 September 2021

Collaborative Artmaking: 8 September 2021

Follow this link to apply now.