Aims

• Festival Connect aims to:
  • create opportunities between SSA and UK festival peers that can lead to future creative collaboration, co-commissions and partnership projects
  • support festival-making and artistic expressions, including community engagement during festivals that can lead to meaningful social impact.
  • mobility for festivals and festival leaders within SSA and UK to promote professional development, cultural exchange, and presentation
  • Build new cross-regional collaborations focused on access to market and the potential of festivals in bridging cultures in SSA and with the UK arts sector
  • support the festival value chain, targeting tour-ready work, festival management and networks, including
  • provide space for experimentation with creative technology (digital festivals included) to develop new experiences.

Focus Areas

• The festival must include programming in at least one of the following areas:
  • Creative Technology
  • Film
  • Literature
  • Music
  • Theatre and Dance
  • Multidisciplinary Arts

Funding Information

• A total of 100,000 GBP is available for this year's Fund.
• Applicants can apply in three tiers of scales – £5000 GBP, £10,000GBP, or £15,000 GBP.

Geographic Focus

• Projects must be based in:
  • Sub-Saharan Africa: Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
  • In partnership with:
    • UK: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

What they fund?

• Festival Connect 2025 supports festivals and festival-led projects that include one or more of the following:
  • Artistic collaboration and co-production between SSA and UK partners
  • Festival making and delivery, including community engagement
  • Mobility and exchange between SSA and UK (and within SSA)
  • Capacity building, including mentoring and coaching
  • Use of creative technology or digital components
  • Marketing and storytelling activities that engage audiences aged 18–35
  • Activities may include performances, exhibitions, artist residencies, workshops, talks, and other cultural engagements in digital, in-person, or hybrid formats.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be festivals that have completed a minimum of two previous editions (in-person or digital).
• All applications have to be a partnership between the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Festivals applying should promote cultural exchange, community engagement, and creative innovation

Ineligibility Criteria

• They cannot fund:
  • Non-arts festivals (e.g. food and wine festivals, wellness festivals, carnivals/parades) or arts activities within non-arts festivals.

For more information, visit British Council.