The British Council has announced the recipients of its 2024 Connections Through Culture (CTC) Grant Program, backing 10 collaborative projects between the United Kingdom and the Philippines. The program, which fosters partnerships between artists in the UK and the Asia-Pacific region, will provide over £741,000 (P53 million) in funding for 84 projects across the region.

This year’s grant cycle marks the program’s expansion to include South Asia, with artists and cultural organizations from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka now joining participants from Australia, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The CTC grants support a variety of artistic fields, including film, literature, theater, music, creative technology, visual arts, design, and more. The selected projects aim to tackle global challenges such as climate change, diversity, and inclusion through cross-cultural collaborations.

"We are thrilled to announce our 2024 grantees, whose projects highlight the incredible power of cross-cultural collaboration and the rich diversity of artistic expression in the Philippines. This year’s CTC projects span across the archipelago — from Quezon, Leyte, Siquijor, and Siargao — reflecting the wide range of creative practices in the country. This year's collaborations reaffirm the British Council’s commitment to supporting diverse voices, fostering inclusivity, and expanding opportunities for artists," said Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan, Head of Arts at the British Council in the Philippines.

The 10 UK-Philippines collaborations include:

1. Bridging Communities in Music: String Ensembles in Manila and Leyte

   • UK: Carmen Flores, Nottingham Chamber Music Festival

   • Philippines: UP Arco, Joselle Cayatano

2. Coastal Connections

   • UK: Pilot Theatre

   • Philippines: Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)

3. Dancing to Music You Hate: The Philippine Remix

   • UK: Jasmine Gardosi

   • Philippines: Leandro Reyes, Babaylanes

4. Forage Friction

   • UK: Freya Edmondes aka Elvin Brandhi

   • Philippines: Tengal Drilon

5. Growing a Field

   • UK: Reneta Minoldo

   • Philippines: Katherine Nuñez

6. Hapag Ugnayan Potlucks: An International Exchange with Women Creatives and Land Workers

   • UK: Malaika Cunningham (The Bare Project)

   • Philippines: Jen Horn (Good Food Community)

7. Nature KwenTour: Co-creating Solarpunk Futures

   • UK: ESEA Green Lions

   • Philippines: Lokal Lab

8. Shame Parade

   • UK: Angel Cohn Castle

   • Philippines: Ken Santos

9. Swallowed by Water

   • UK: Atlantic Institute-XR Lab

   • Philippines: Rappler

10. The Net

    • UK: Lorna Nickson Brown (Copper Thread Productions)

    • Philippines: Anjeline de Dios

The British Council’s Connections Through Culture Grant Program supports artistic collaborations aimed at fostering cultural exchange, innovation, and mutual understanding across borders.