Call for applications: Digital Collaboration Fund for arts organisations

Grants of up to £50 000 ($65 000) will be awarded to successful applicants. The funding is aimed at supporting arts organisations to collaborate digitally on a range of different international projects across the countries.

The British Council will accept applications from the following African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Applicants can either apply for a small or large grant for projects that align with the following areas:

• Research and development grants – to research and develop proposals for new virtual collaboration projects.
• Restart grants – for existing projects that are currently on pause due to COVID-19, to help organisations restart them via digital means.
• Collaboration grants – for new projects with a focus on virtual collaboration and other new ways of working.

The funding will be allocated as follows:

• Small grants of between $11 000 and $24 000 – four grants will be awarded in each area (12 total).
• Large grants of between $46 000 and $59 000 – five grants awarded per area (15 total).

Eligibility

Applicants should note the following:

• The fund is open to arts and culture organisations and higher education organisations with an arts and culture focus.
• Applications must be a partnership between at least one UK organisation and one organisation based in one of the countries listed above.
• There must be one lead applicant, but this does not need to be a UK organisation. 
• While the funds are designed to benefit the artistic community, applications will only be accepted from legally registered organisations and collectives.
• Applicants must have a registered business bank account. 
• Applicants can submit multilateral projects, with the focus of the programme being delivered mutually across the UK and in overseas countries. 
• The funding should be split 60/40 between the UK and the other countries. The lead partner should get no more than 60% of the funding and at least 40% of funding should be distributed in one or more of the countries listed below.

The British Council will fund the following projects:

• Virtual art residencies.
• Virtual exhibitions or showcases.
• Virtual conferences.
• Online art and cultural archives.
• Creative collaborations.
• Research and development of project ideas.
• Digital games.
• Mixed, augmented, and virtual reality projects.

“We have always supported international artistic collaboration through our work,” the British Council says. “In response to increasing restrictions on global travel due to COVID-19 and rising concerns about the sustainability of face-to-face collaborations, we are now looking for new ways to foster these international connections. The Digital Collaboration Fund aims to address this challenge. Through a series of grants, we are supporting organisations to devise new virtual ways of working internationally, in turn creating a climate-friendly approach to international collaboration and artistic exchange.”

Interested arts organisations can submit their applications here.

The application deadline is 18 November (1.59 AM CAT).

View the original call here.