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:
Bridging Communities in Music: String Ensembles in Manila and Leyte
UK: Carmen Flores, Nottingham Chamber Music Festival
Philippines: UP Arco, Joselle Cayatano
Coastal Connections
UK: Pilot Theatre
Philippines: Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)
Dancing to Music You Hate: The Philippine Remix
UK: Jasmine Gardosi
Philippines: Leandro Reyes, Babaylanes
Forage Friction
UK: Freya Edmondes aka Elvin Brandhi
Philippines: Tengal Drilon
Growing a Field
UK: Reneta Minoldo
Philippines: Katherine Nuñez
Hapag Ugnayan Potlucks: An International Exchange with Women Creatives and Land Workers
UK: Malaika Cunningham (The Bare Project)
Philippines: Jen Horn (Good Food Community)
Nature KwenTour: Co-creating Solarpunk Futures
UK: ESEA Green Lions
Philippines: Lokal Lab
Shame Parade
UK: Angel Cohn Castle
Philippines: Ken Santos
Swallowed by Water
UK: Atlantic Institute-XR Lab
Philippines: Rappler
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.