Islamabad, June 17, 2026: The British Council has launched its flagship Connections Through Culture (CTC) Grants 2026 programme in Pakistan for the first time, offering grants of up to £15,000 to support creative collaborations between Pakistani and UK-based artists, cultural institutions, and creative organizations.
The initiative aims to foster bilateral artistic partnerships, cross-cultural exchanges, and long-term institutional collaborations between the United Kingdom and 35 participating countries worldwide, including Pakistan.
The newly expanded programme brings together two legacy British Council funding schemes — Biennials Connect (Visual Arts) Grants and the Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennials and Festivals Grants — into a single, streamlined platform. The consolidated programme will support a broad spectrum of creative disciplines, including visual arts, music, literature, performance, architecture, design, and film.
Speaking on the launch, James Hampson, Country Director of the British Council Pakistan, said the programme would provide valuable opportunities for artists and organizations from both countries to work together and create meaningful cultural connections.
“Connections Through Culture is supporting artists and organisations from the UK and Pakistan to co-create new work and build great partnerships,” he said.
Applications for the 2026 funding cycle are open to creative practitioners, cultural professionals, artists, creative hubs, festivals, biennials, and organizations. To qualify, proposed projects must demonstrate a genuine collaborative partnership involving at least one UK-based collaborator and one partner legally established in an eligible participating country.
Information sessions for applicants
To help prospective applicants better understand the programme requirements and prepare competitive proposals, the British Council will organize a series of information sessions led by its regional Arts Managers.
A dedicated Asia-Pacific information session will be held on June 30, 2026, from 08:00 to 09:30 BST, with British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation available. The session will include participants from Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
A separate Global Visual Arts, Architecture, Design and Fashion Session for all participating territories will take place on July 1, 2026.
Registrations for both sessions are available through the British Council website.
Funding and eligibility
Under the programme, projects must involve at least one UK-based partner and one collaborator from an eligible country. For Pakistan, applicants can seek funding of up to £15,000.
Supported activities include collaborative artistic productions, co-creation projects, artist residencies, research and development initiatives, exhibitions, festivals, and public engagement programmes.
Application deadline
The deadline for submitting applications for the Connections Through Culture Grants 2026 is August 12, 2026, at 23:59 BST.
The British Council has advised prospective applicants to review the official 2026 application toolkit and detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available on its website before preparing and submitting their proposals.
The launch of the programme is expected to strengthen cultural ties between Pakistan and the United Kingdom while creating new opportunities for artists and creative organizations to collaborate on projects with international reach and impact.
