£645,000 UK grant includes PH artisans, designers

THE British Council is supporting 76 new innovative projects through its Connections Through Culture grant program 2023, a platform fostering vibrant collaborations between artists in the United Kingdom and East Asia. It drew in entries from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

The program provided over £645,000 in grants to chosen artists and art organizations to help bring about their ideas to fruition at any stage of development.

These projects have supported a variety of art forms, including architecture, design, film, creative technology, literature, visual arts, theater, dance, circus, fashion, craft and music.

The grant for this round focuses on two distinct areas: diversity and inclusion and addressing climate change.

The program is designed to nurture fresh cultural partnerships between British and East Asian artists. It anticipates that the rich array of collaborative efforts across borders and artistic disciplines will lead to new thoughts that will address global challenges.

Manami Yuasa, head of Arts, East Asia at the British Council, says the collaborations will open international opportunities for the selected artists and groups. The connections established between them will also lead to a “more interconnected and innovative global arts community,” she adds.

The British Council will also release the International Collaboration Grants, which will allow East Asian artists and collectives to apply for grants of up to £75,000 to support new creative collaborations.

For more information about the Connections Through Culture Grants allotted specifically for Filipino artists and cultural organizations, click https://www.britishcouncil. ph/programmes/arts/connections-through-culture-grantee-2023.