British Council New Zealand and the Pacific
Funding
Up to £5,000 GBP
Deadline
13 August 2026
Location
NZ
Grants of up to £5,000 for bilateral creative collaborations between UK and Aotearoa New Zealand practitioners, with priority themes of Climate and Māori & Paci
The British Council has launched the 2026 cycle of its Connections Through Culture (CTC) grants programme, supporting creative collaborations between practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Funding of up to £5,000 is available for NZ-based projects that demonstrate meaningful bilateral collaboration — at least one UK-based and one NZ-based partner must be involved. Eligible activities include co-creation, residencies, research and development, collaborative exhibitions, and public programmes.
Applications are welcome from individual artists, creative practitioners, cultural professionals, creative hubs, festivals, biennials, and organisations. Priority themes for UK–New Zealand projects are Climate and Māori & Pacific Communities.
The deadline is Wednesday 13 August 2026 at 10:59am NZT (23:59 12 August BST). Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the official 2026 application toolkit and FAQs before submitting.
To help you put together a strong application, the British Council is hosting a series of information sessions in late June and early July, available across multiple NZT timeslots. Dedicated sessions are available for Visual Arts, Architecture, Design, Fashion and Craft applicants, and for Creative Technology projects including digital arts, XR/immersive, and games. BSL interpretation is available at the first session.
Register for information sessions at: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/aWcSnkDJRk
Feature Film Finishing Grant
New Zealand Film Commission (Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga)
Non-recoupable grant of up to $60,000 NZD to help NZ-based filmmakers complete independently made feature films with a distribution or festival pathway.
