ISLAMABAD – British Council launched its flagship Connections Through Culture (CTC) Grants 2026 programme in Pakistan for the first time, offering funding of up to £15,000 to support collaborative arts and cultural projects between Pakistani and UK-based creative practitioners.
Announced on June 17, the programme aims to strengthen cultural ties and foster long-term partnerships between artists, cultural organisations, creative hubs and festivals in Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Pakistan is among 35 participating countries eligible for the grant scheme.
The 2026 edition brings together two existing British Council initiatives, Biennials Connect (Visual Arts) Grants and the Architecture, Design and Fashion Biennials and Festivals Grants, under a single funding platform designed to support a broader range of artistic disciplines.
The programme is open to creative practitioners, cultural professionals, artists, organisations, festivals and biennials working across visual arts, music, literature, performance, architecture, design, fashion and film.
“Connections Through Culture is supporting artists and organisations from the UK and Pakistan to co-create new work and build great partnerships,” said James Hampson, Country Director of British Council Pakistan.
According to the British Council, eligible projects must involve at least one UK-based collaborator and one partner legally established in a participating country. Funding can be used for activities including co-creation projects, artist residencies, research and development, collaborative exhibitions and public programmes.
To help prospective applicants navigate the process, the British Council will host a series of information sessions led by its arts managers. An Asia-Pacific information session is scheduled for June 30, bringing together participants from Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK. A separate global session focusing on visual arts, architecture, design and fashion will be held on July 1.
Applications for the 2026 grant cycle will remain open until August 12, 2026, at 11:59pm BST.
Applicants have been advised to consult the official application toolkit and frequently asked questions available on the British Council website before submitting their proposals.
The launch marks a significant expansion of the British Council’s cultural engagement in Pakistan, providing local creatives with new opportunities to collaborate internationally, develop artistic projects and build sustainable cross-border partnerships.
The British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, operates in more than 100 countries worldwide and says it reached approximately 600 million people through its programmes in 2022-23.
