The British Council Climate change and COP26 – Open call for creative commissions (£50,000 grant)

Application Deadline: 13 December 2020

The British Council is inviting applications for creative commissions that bring together art, science and digital technology and offer innovative responses to climate change. The commissions will be part of the cultural programme in the build up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which the UK is hosting in Glasgow in November 2021. 

We are inviting collaborative applications from individuals and organisations in the UK with partners from eligible countries and states overseas. 

You can apply for up to £50,000 to realise your creative idea and we are looking to support up to 20 projects. We want these commissions to stimulate truly global conversations, bringing people from different countries, cultures and communities together to understand each other’s perspectives and to work together on creative responses and solutions to climate change. 

Eligibility Requirements

British Council want to see interdisciplinary and collaborative ways of working through these commissions, for example from individuals or organisations involved in arts, creativity and culture, community and civil society, science and research, education, English language teaching, youth work and more.

Applications must include at least one partner in the UK and one overseas partner from the eligible countries and states listed below:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Applicants must be living in their respective country at the time of applying and for the duration of this project.

Partners from countries outside of the list of eligible countries can be part of a collaboration but cannot receive any financial benefit from this grant.

You can now register to join one of three online information surgeries via the links below. Each session will talk you through the brief and answer any questions. Please inform us of any access needs at least one week prior to your event, so we have time to put appropriate measures in place. All sessions will be run in English.

• Information Surgery 1: Tuesday 10 November, 10.00 – 11.30 GMT
• Information Surgery 2: Wednesday 18 November, 16.00 – 17.30 GMT
• Information Surgery 3: Monday 23 November, 14.00 – 15.30 GMT

Apply by 13 December 2020

Once you have read the Briefing document, please fill out the following two forms and email them to creativecommissions@britishcouncil.org by Sunday 13 December 2020, at 22.00 hours (GMT):

• Application form (Microsoft Word 59KB) 
• Equality and diversity monitoring form (optional) (Microsoft Word 57KB)

We look forward to receiving your application. For any questions, please email creativecommissions@britishcouncil.org. 

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the British Council Climate change and COP26