Applications are now closed.
FestivalConnect 2020 is open to festivals in the UK and SSA*. It facilitates connections, exchanges and showcases contemporary arts between UK and SSA festivals across art forms and at a scaled ambition. We believe festivals are unique environments and make for condensed and intense experiences, and we would like to see ambitious and experimental projects fostered through this call. This requires a partnership between two festivals, one in SSA and one in the UK, but does not necessarily have to take place at both festivals, or it could be programming new art or creative work by young international artists.*see eligible countries below
Webinars
Join us for a FestivalConnect webinar where you will find out more about this open call with: the kind of projects we are looking for, the criteria for application, an application walkthrough, and lastly, a question and answer session. Both webinars will be recorded - with links added below 3 days after recording.
- 13 December - Click to see webinar recording. See Frequently Asked Questions document link below.
- 15 January - Click to see webinar recording. See Frequently Asked Questions document link below.
SSA Arts programme - Why festivals?
Festivals are vibrant artistic platforms - they are meeting points, and a hive of activity for people to network, exchange skills, share ideas, and each other’s art with wide and varied audiences. Across SSA and the UK, we engage and work with festivals in different ways; encourage sharing of knowledge, build intelligence on festival models and exchange and offer opportunities to showcase and collaborate across art form and countries. This provides audiences with fresh content and access to contemporary African and British art and artists. We do this through engaging with young festival leadership, support a digital arts residency in partnership with several festivals, and through our FestivalConnect open call.
There are two streams you can apply to:
- Festival to Festival– Supporting exchange between Festivals who would benefit from connecting and sharing with each other, creatively and professionally.
- Festival to Artist & Creatives – Supporting festivals to programme artists and creatives from SSA and the UK, so more SSA and UK 18-35-year-old's have access to take part, collaborate and showcase their creative work with audiences of that country.
FestivalConnect requirements:
- Your proposal value should be between 10,000 – 20,000 GBP (or the equivalent in local currency)
- A confirmed partnership or booking between festivals, organisations or artists
- Proposals must be festival led
- Your proposal must address one or more of the expected outcomes
- Your proposal must have one partner in SSA and one in the UK
- If you are proposing to programme artists, the artist needs to come from the reciprocating country (ie UK or SSA)
- The activity should take place between May 2020 and May 2021
- The festivals involved should have presented a minimum of three iterations of its festival
- Your project should attract an 18 and 35 years old audience
- Artists programmed must be between 18 and 35 years old
- Open to festivals, biennales, art fairs, large-scale exhibitions or seasons
Selection
Applications will be assessed against the requirements and project aims. They will be reviewed by a selection panel, including representatives from the British Council Arts team and external partners (who sign confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements).
What can this look like:
- Programming of young, emerging artists between UK and SSA festivals
- Incubation of existing art (e.g. Existing work that would benefit from further development)
- Cross programming/curating of work
- Professional development of artists and festival management teams or professionals
- Co-producing work
- Experimentation between festivals
What it is not:
- Commissioning new work
- A quick fix to programme shortfall
- Doesn’t need to be reciprocal
- Mobility only *
- Technical skills training programmes
*We have other opportunities for mobility: in_Motion (SSA to SSA), in_Motion Scoping Grants (UK to SSA).