Climate change and COP26 - Open call for creative commissions

The British Council is inviting applications for creative commissions that bring together art, science and digital technology and offer innovative responses to climate change. The commissions will be part of the cultural programme in the build up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which the UK is hosting in Glasgow in November 2021.

Apply by 13 December 2020 for a grant of up to £50k. Collaborate with international partners and realise your creative idea

The British Council is inviting applications for creative commissions that bring together art, science and digital technology and offer innovative responses to climate change. The commissions will be part of the cultural programme in the build up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which the UK is hosting in Glasgow in November 2021. 

We are inviting collaborative applications from individuals and organisations in the UK with partners from eligible countries and states overseas. 

You can apply for up to £50,000 to realise your creative idea and we are looking to support up to 20 projects. We want these commissions to stimulate truly global conversations, bringing people from different countries, cultures and communities together to understand each other’s perspectives and to work together on creative responses and solutions to climate change. 

Eligibility for applications

We want to see interdisciplinary and collaborative ways of working through these commissions, for example from individuals or organisations involved in arts, creativity and culture, community and civil society, science and research, education, English language teaching, youth work and more.

 Applications must include at least one partner in the UK and one overseas partner from the eligible countries and states listed below:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, Myanmar, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia & Montenegro, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Applicants must be living in their respective country at the time of applying and for the duration of this project.

Partners from countries outside of the list of eligible countries can be part of a collaboration but cannot receive any financial benefit from this grant.

Applications should be jointly submitted and signed by all named collaborators, with one lead UK partner who will be contracted and responsible for leading communications and disseminating the grant to all collaborators. Individuals, organisations and/or informal collectives/networks are all eligible to apply but should have demonstrable experience of managing similar projects and grants.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate clear benefit to the overseas eligible country, which should be reflected through the project planning (including budget allocation), delivery and dissemination. This includes demonstrating how the overseas partners or their audiences may benefit from showcasing opportunities, new networks and/or capacity building. Mutuality must be a central component to the international collaboration.

Applicants should support the ethos and values of this commission and where appropriate, have a demonstrable history of supporting environmentally friendly and low carbon ideas and initiatives. Applicants who are to new sustainable practice and want to include this in their businesses or work moving forward are encouraged to submit joint applications with those who have more experience in this area.

Please see further details in the Briefing document below.

Find out more and join an information session

Please read full details about the call and who can apply in the Briefing document.

There is also a short film which provides an introduction to the Briefing document in British Sign Language. We will add an easy read version of the Briefing document to this web page shortly.

You can now register to join one of three online information surgeries via the links below. Each session will talk you through the brief and answer any questions. Please inform us of any access needs at least one week prior to your event, so we have time to put appropriate measures in place. All sessions will be run in English.

• Information Surgery 1: Tuesday 10 November, 10.00 – 11.30 GMT
• Information Surgery 2: Wednesday 18 November, 16.00 – 17.30 GMT
• Information Surgery 3: Monday 23 November, 14.00 – 15.30 GMT

 Apply by 13 December 2020

Once you have read the Briefing document, please fill out the following two forms and email them to creativecommissions@britishcouncil.org by Sunday 13 December 2020, at 22.00 hours (GMT):

• Application form
• Equality and diversity monitoring form 

For any questions, please email creativecommissions@britishcouncil.org

Visit our website for more information.