Funding for international cultural exchange and collaboration confirmed

With co-investment from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council England and Arts Council Wales/Wales Arts International and Creative Scotland, the second round of the Four Nations International Fund will support those working in the arts and creative industries in the four nations across the UK and together with counterparts in Europe and beyond.

Fund guidance will be published on Wednesday 16 August 2023 and applications invited from that date fun with a deadline of Wednesday 28 September 2023. Interested applicants are invited to attend an International Artist Mobility Coffee Morning being held online at 09:30am, Tuesday 4 July. To find out more and to sign up please visit Arts Info Point UK website.

The first round of the Fund supported 38 projects bringing together 82 UK and 48 international partners based in over 24 different countries, from Mexico to Kenya, Barbados to Australia and throughout Europe and the USA with backing for artist led proposals addressing key issues facing society - social justice, gender identity and environmental sustainability – in innovative new ways.

Up to £7,500 will now be available from a total budget of £240,000 for in-person, digital or hybrid activity including exchanges, residencies, partnership development, co-creation and networking, with priority given to applications experimenting with innovative models of international collaboration.

Creative Scotland is managing the fund’s application process for the four nations arts councils and agencies. On the partnership’s behalf, Dana MacLeod, Executive Director of Arts, Communities and Inclusion at Creative Scotland said:

“The development of art and culture thrives on international collaboration and exchange. Artists and creative practitioners derive inspiration, opportunities to grow and develop practice through the sharing of ideas and explore new ways of working, as well as reaching new audiences.

“We’re pleased to increase the maximum funding amount available in this round to encourage fair remunerations for artists and professionals involved in these projects, to better enable more sustainable approaches to international travel and collaboration, and to generally reflect the increased costs of working internationally.

“In the wake of the impacts of COVID-19, the UK’s departure from the European Union and the ever-growing climate emergency, working together with our fellow arts councils and agencies, we can more effectively help address challenges for artists and creative practitioners across the UK and enable them to connect with their international counterparts.”

The Four Nations International Fund represents one of a series of collaborations between the Four UK nations arts councils and agencies including the Arts Infopoint UK initiative offering advice on practical issues relating to artist mobility led by Wales Arts International, as well as an exploration of mutual and more sustainable approaches to bilateral initiatives with several European countries, such as the Cultural Bridge socially engaged practice programme with German Fonds SozioKultur and Magnetic visual arts residency programme with the Institut Francais.