British Council Opens Applications for Cultural Grants in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The British Council has announced the launch of the application cycle for its flagship international program, Connections Through Culture (CTC), for 2026. This initiative is aimed at providing comprehensive support for bilateral creative collaboration, developing intercultural dialogue, and building long-term institutional partnerships between representatives of the creative sectors of the United Kingdom and 35 countries worldwide, including Uzbekistan.

This year, the program's structure has undergone significant changes and expanded considerably. It now integrates two major components: the Biennials Connect grant initiative, which focuses on visual arts, and targeted financial support for organizers of biennials and festivals in the fields of architecture, fashion, and design. Through this consolidation, the program has established a unified, coordinated platform for funding a wide range of cultural projects spanning music, literature, film, performing and visual arts, architecture, and design.

Under the 2026 grant competition, approximately £1.3 million will be distributed to support international cultural projects. Michael Houlgate, Director of the British Council in Uzbekistan, emphasized that the program creates unique opportunities for co-creation, helping to build sustainable partnerships between countries.

Individual artists, cultural figures, independent professionals, creative collectives, creative hubs, and arts organizations—including festival and biennial administrations—are eligible to participate in the competition and apply for non-repayable funding. A mandatory requirement for application approval is partnership: projects must be developed jointly by at least one participant from the UK and one officially registered partner from Uzbekistan.

For representatives of the Uzbekistani creative industry, the maximum amount of financial support per grant can reach up to £10,000. The allocated funds may be used for co-creating works, conducting research, organizing residencies, public programs, and exhibitions.

To provide practical assistance to potential applicants and clarify selection criteria, the British Council is organizing a series of specialized online information sessions. General webinars are scheduled for June 30 (from 08:00 to 09:30 and from 15:00 to 16:30 British Summer Time, BST).

Specialized sessions will take place on July 1: a webinar for projects in visual arts, fashion, design, architecture, and crafts will start at 10:00 (BST), followed at 15:00 (BST) by a session for creators working at the intersection of creative technologies, including digital art, gaming, and immersive media. The registration links for these sessions are available on the organization's official website.

The deadline for submitting applications is August 12, 2026, closing at exactly 23:59 (BST).