Grants for UK and international biennales and festivals 2024

The British Council is awarding grants to support biennales and festivals in the UK to present work by international designers, and biennales and festivals outside the UK to present work by UK designers.

Eligibility criteria

Biennales and festivals outside the UK wishing to showcase work by UK-based designers, or UK biennales and festivals wishing to showcase work by international designers are eligible to apply.

Grants are not designed for research and development, but to facilitate implementation of activities, such as collaborations and exchanges, or exhibitions and installations. The grant can be used to support travel costs, production costs, as well as other miscellaneous costs associated with the showcasing of work.

Priority will be given to:

• Activities either taking place in Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipient countries (for biennales and festivals outside the UK) or with designers based in those countries (for UK biennales and festivals), this includes many Asian nations;
• Projects involving designers in the early stages of their career, i.e. within 10 years of practice;
• Projects that foster collaboration between UK-based and international designers.

Grant information

An estimated 8–10 grants will be offered in the Financial Year 2024–25.

Grants will be offered by the British Council’s Architecture Design Fashion team to the biennale/festival organiser to cover costs in relation to the participation of architects or designers. The value of each grant should be up to 5,000 GBP. 

British Council grant application guidelines

Deadline: 23 June 2024

Image: Mother Goddess of the Three Realms, by Wax Atelier, Kilomet 109 and Company Place, London Design Festival 2023