Circusful, Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre, University of Atypical and Brink! set to benefit from Cultural Bridge funding

Four organisations based in Northern Ireland are set to partner with four German organisations to deliver a series of projects in 2025-2026 including Fermanagh’s Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre, Circusful, Brink! and the University of Atypical, all based in Belfast. The partnerships and projects include:

Tier one (new partnerships receiving funding up to £10k):

• Dance Ability Bridge project with Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre (Enniskillen, Northern Ireland) and unperform e.V. (Bremen)
• Social Circus - Building Bridges project with Circusful (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and Coraggio (Berlin)

Tier two (existing partnerships receiving funding up to £30k):

• Colour Stories. Evolving journeys: the art of flax & linen project with Brink! (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and artpark Hoher (Schermbeck, nr Essen)
• Sick in the City: Investigating Queerness and Disability in Public Urban Space project with University of Atypical (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and COVEN BERLIN (Berlin)

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to partner with Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London and our arts funding colleagues across these islands in the Cultural Bridge programme. This important initiative offers a valuable opportunity for our artists to engage with their counterparts in the UK and Germany with the aim of using the arts to connect communities, develop shared understanding and facilitate social change through the creation of new, artistic work.  Congratulations to NI organisations Brink!, University of Atypical, Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre and Circusful, and to all those who have received support in the fourth round of funding of this important initiative. We look forward to experiencing these exciting projects as they develop.”

Commenting on their Tier Two partnership, Sick in the City: Investigating Queerness and Disability in Public Urban Space, University of Atypical and COVEN BERLIN, said,

“University of Atypical and COVEN BERLIN are delighted to have been chosen as one of the 2025-26 Cultural Bridge partnerships. This new partnership programme will grow the relationship by pairing disabled artists from Berlin and Belfast to co-create new work together with d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, and queer communities in both cities. The funding will enable artist residencies, community development workshops, and exciting new arts activities. We are so excited to see how our communities and artists will work together, learn from each other, and how we can imagine new futures for both our cities.”

Andrea Pfeil, Interim Director, Goethe-Institut London, added,

"We are delighted that the Cultural Bridge programme is thriving, fostering meaningful exchange and growth between organisations in the UK and Germany, all rooted in cultural reciprocity. This year's cohort highlights the transformative power of socially engaged practice to enhance lives, and we look forward to seeing the funded projects develop over the coming year. It is also wonderful to see the alumni group growing, with former participants continuing to support and engage with each other. We eagerly anticipate future discussions and events around the emerging themes of the programme."

Mechthild Eickhoff, Executive Manager at Fonds Soziokultur, said,

“For us it is a rare role model for how funders can build a ground for international understanding that really meets the needs of cultural practitioners and local communities. The programme is developing with every new round. The funded projects show a wide range of arts, communities involved and artistic approaches. They all deal with the question of how we can build a positive, empathetic and respectful society - from Northern Ireland to South of Germany. This cannot be valued enough!"

Following an open call to attend matchmaking sessions in September 2024, Cultural Bridge received over 130 applications, which were assessed and reviewed by an independent jury of professionals from the UK and Germany. A further year of funding is confirmed for 2026 - 2027, and applications will open later this year. For further information about Cultural Bridge visit www.culturalbridge.info and follow the Instagram page @CulturalBridgeNetwork

The 2025 - 2026 programme will support 12 new and 8 existing partnerships. The 2025 – 2026 partnerships are:

Tier one (new partnerships receiving funding up to £10k):

• Act Your Age!: Youth Leadership in Art and Activism: Common Wealth Theatre (Bradford, England & Cardiff, Wales) and FUNDUS THEATER / Theatre of Research (Hamburg)
• Bridging Borders: A Collaborative Arts Exchange: Sheba Arts (Salford, England) and Iranisches Kulturfest/Termeh Festival (Munich, Bayern)
• Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling and Creative Connections for Community Empowerment: Intercultural Roots for Public Health (Coventry, England) and MakingCulture® e.V. (Coburg, Bayern)
• Dance Ability Bridge: Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre (Enniskillen, Northern Ireland) and unperform e.V. (Bremen)
• Everybody needs a puppet: Swallow's Wings Puppetry (London, England) and Dialogus – Kulturelle Vielfalt leben e. V. (Mittweida/Chemnitz, East Germany)
• Missing link: Think Circus (Edinburgh, Scotland) and wheels e.V./Junges Theater (Munster & Berlin)
• Sharing Creative Practice: Media Education CIC (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Q3.Quartier für Medien.Bildung (Traunstein, Bayern)
• Social Circus - Building Bridges: Circusful (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and Coraggio (Berlin)
• Songs of Neighbours and Strangers: Das Clarks (Newport, Wales) and Cargo-Theater (Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg)
•  Stubborn Optimism: Social Arts Co-Creation and Positive Change in Community Contexts: Bright Shadow CIO (Herne Bay, England) and Raum der Künste e.V. (Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg)
• The Quiet Room: Disability Arts in Shropshire (Shrewsbury, England) and Berlinklusion GbR (Berlin)
• Water Chronicles: exploring stories of accessibility in urban water spaces: Surge Coop (Newham, London) and Insola (Berlin)

Tier two (existing partnerships receiving funding up to £30k):

• Colour Stories. Evolving journeys: the art of flax & linen: Brink! (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and artpark Hoher (Schermbeck, nr Essen)
• Exploring Flows: Dyffryn Dyfodol (Wales) and Syndikat Gefährliche Liebschaften (Quakenbrück)
• North East Moves Inc: TIN Arts ltd (Durham, England) and Perform[d]ance e.V. (Stralsund)
• Sick in the City: Investigating Queerness and Disability in Public Urban Space: University of Atypical (Belfast, Northern Ireland) and COVEN BERLIN (Berlin)
• Unlocked: Geese Theatre Company (Birmingham, England) and aufBruch (Berlin)

(Previous Tier One partners)

• Utopia writing and film collaboration: Stellar Quines Ltd (Fife, Scotland) and MPower (Berlin)
• We Dance, We Connect: Anjali Dance Company (Derby, England) and com.dance (Horben)
• Without Walls: The Mighty Creatives (Leicester, England) and Werkhaus e.V. (Krefeld)