Open Call for Circular Culture Programme 2024

Circular Culture is an initiative of the British Council developed in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. It provides financial and training resources to promote artistic exchange between Latin American, Caribbean (LATAC) countries, and the United Kingdom, strengthening cultural festival offerings and promoting the development of sustainable cultural sector.

The Circular Culture Grant offers a total fund of £350,000 (GBP) and is aimed at cultural and artistic festivals – both in-person and digital – taking place in the aforementioned countries. Festivals interested in collaborations, artistic exhibitions, or training activities with British professionals, as well as fostering changes in attitudes, narratives, and practices related to sustainable culture, are encouraged to apply.

The programme reinforces the commitment to promoting festivals, recognising their importance in the dynamics of cities and the promotion of contemporary artistic creation and the expansion of sustainable practices, always championing:

• The exchange between artists, creators and local managers
• Public access to international artists/creators/researchers/scientists
• Opportunities to provide technical skills for sustainable development through training
• The development of knowledge networks
• Global cultural exchange

Categories

• One of the main objectives of the programme is to train festival managers in sustainable practices.  This year, they’re taking a fresh approach to ensure a more equitable distribution of funds by focusing on festival reach. The categories now consider the audience size, whether it’s face-to-face, online, or a mix of both.
  • Group 1 (Categories A to F) encompasses festivals expecting up to 10,000 attendees and applying for up to £12,000 
    • Festival proposals within this group should include an artistic collaboration with the UK and a commitment to participate in the training and mentoring activities provided by the programme. While demonstrating initiatives to improve sustainable practices is desirable for festivals seeking funds in this category, there is no specific requirement to allocate a certain percentage of received funds to such activities. These can be proposals that can be worked on with Circular Culture mentors to implement in the future.
  • Group 2 (Categories G and H) caters to festivals expecting over 10,000 attendees and applying for £15,000 to £20,000 
    • Proposals within this group must incorporate an artistic collaboration with the United Kingdom and a commitment to engage in the training and mentoring activities offered through the programme. Additionally, festivals in this category are required to allocate 20% of their funds towards sustainable operations, like: transport, food, water, energy, waste management, local biodiversity, air quality, or responsible marketing initiatives.

Eligible Countries 

• Festivals from the following countries are eligible to participate Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

Criteria

• There is no fee for submitting an application to this open call.
• The winning festivals are scheduled to perform between July 2024 and June 2025.
• Only individuals or organisations capable of issuing tax invoices, whose primary activity is related to the cultural domain of the main product outlined in the proposal, are eligible to apply. The total amount to be received includes all applicable taxes, as per the legal obligations of each country.
• Compliance with the conditions and requirements of the applicants will be verified upon announcement of the selected candidates and the procedures for receiving financial support, subsequent to the submission of requested documents by the British Council.
• Selected applicants must be prepared to respond to inquiries regarding financial verification and reputational risk from the British Council, which reserves the right to disqualify, cancel, or suspend financing processes for those posing potential compliance, ethical, or governance risks. Financial contributions will be granted through the execution of a contract between the applicant and the British Council.
• The proposal must demonstrate a commitment to implementing sustainable practices that reduce the festival’s environmental impact.
• A partnership with a United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales) counterpart is mandatory, and a letter of intent to collaborate from them should be included in the application. It is the responsibility of the festival applicant to establish contact and reach an agreement with the British partner. The British Council does not maintain a central artist directory, and festivals have the freedom to approach relevant artists or organisations. However, here you can find tips on how to find this partner.
• The British partner should actively contribute to the festival activities, such as performances, talks, workshops, etc. The involvement will depend on the nature of the intended activity within the festival.
• The proposed projects can be multidisciplinary, encompassing at least one of the disciplines mentioned in the call (visual arts, film, dance, architecture, design, fashion, literature, music, or theatre).

For more information, visit British Council.