Islamabad (GNP): The British Council has expanded its flagship Connections Through Culture (CTC) grant programme to Pakistan, marking the initiative’s debut in the country. The programme offers seed funding to spark bilateral creative projects, cross-cultural exchanges, and enduring institutional alliances between UK creative professionals and their counterparts across 35 countries.
As part of the expansion, the British Council has merged two of its longstanding funding streams — the Biennials Connect (Visual Arts) grants and the Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennials and Festivals grants — into this single, streamlined programme. Supported disciplines include visual arts, music, literature, film, performance, architecture, and design.
“Connections Through Culture is supporting artists and organisations from the UK and Pakistan to co-create new work and build great partnerships,” said James Hampson, Country Director, British Council Pakistan.
Eligible applicants include individual artists, cultural professionals, creative hubs, festivals, biennials, and organisations. Projects must feature a joint effort between at least one UK-based collaborator and one partner legally based in a participating country. Pakistan-based projects may receive grants of up to £15,000. Supported activities encompass research and development, creative residencies, collaborative exhibitions, public programming, and co-creation.
The British Council’s regional Arts Managers will host interactive webinars to guide Asia-Pacific applicants through the eligibility criteria and help them develop competitive proposals.
The Asia Pacific Regional Information Session, which will include British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, is scheduled for Tuesday, 30 June 2026, from 08:00 to 09:30 BST, and is open to applicants from Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Mainland China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. A Global Visual Arts, Architecture, Design and Fashion session open to all participating territories will follow on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. Registration for both sessions is available on the official British Council website.
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The application deadline is Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at 23:59 BST. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the official 2026 application toolkit and frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the British Council website prior to submission.
About the British Council
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
