Welcome to Creative Scotland’s round up of international opportunities and information, put together by Kate Deans, Creative Scotland’s International Officer.
In this blog, we cover:
Remember that our Creative Scotland Opportunities site is the main resource for events, workshops, funding calls and more, and you can filter by ‘International’ there.
Internationale Tanzmesse NRW is the largest international professional gathering for contemporary dance, and took place this year from 31 August - 3 September in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Working in partnership with The Work Room, Creative Scotland co-ordinated Scotland’s presence at Tanzmesse 2022, giving Scotland’s contemporary dance sector a profile at one of the industry’s most important international gatherings. See the video presentation, read more about the supported Scotland-based delegates who attended alongside representatives from leading organisations Scottish Dance Theatre, Dance Base, Tramway, Dance North and choreographers Rob Heaslip and Emma Jayne Park on our Tanzmesse webpage.
A delegation of composers, musicians and producers will explore new opportunities for Scotland at Nordic Music Days this year in Iceland. Off the back of PITCH, Scotland’s annual conference of hip hop & underground culture organised by SAMA, the Pitch Scotland Showcase took place at New Skool Rules, an international urban music festival and conference in Rotterdam. Finally, towards the end of October, Scotland partners with the other UK nations and Ireland on a Horizons tradestand at Womex, the World Music Expo, in Portugal.
Creative Scotland partners on Life on Mars, a live international creative lab in Bologna, Italy on 13 – 16 October 2022 and online, along with Liv.in.g (IT), Kultura Nova Foundation (HR) and On The Move (BE). Through presentations by international keynote speakers and action research, the Creative Lab explores new approaches to international cultural cooperation. Scotland-based artists Nicholas Bone, Jo Hodges, Julia McPhee and Richard Lewis will join those from across Europe to consider the challenges and opportunities that have emerged in recent years such as issues of social justice, digital transformation, sustainability, the instrumentalism of arts, and welfare. Prior to the live event in Bologna an online interactive seminar on environmental sustainability was delivered by Creative Carbon Scotland.
Connections Through Culture grants promote and seed exciting arts and cultural exchanges between the UK and countries in South East Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
The grants support new connections, exchanges and collaborations. These grants help build long-term relationships and collaborations between artists, cultural professionals, creative practitioners and art and cultural organisations, hubs, networks, and collectives. Apply by 23 October.
The Cultural Bridge partnership which promotes cross-border collaboration and exchange between Germany and the UK announces a new 2023 - 2024 programme of funding open to organisations who have a track record in socially engaged practice. Organisations from any of the four nations of the UK can apply for funding with a German partner for both exploratory relationships (Tier 1) and established relationships delivery of a programme of activity together (Tier 2). Deadline Wednesday 26 October
Applications are now open for Unlimited’s partner awards and international awards, giving disabled artists the chance to develop and present work across the country and/or internationally across rural and city locations, for digital and in person, collective and individual experiences. There is an online FAQ session for artists on Wednesday 12 October, and applications close Monday 31 October.
Through Biennials Connect Grants, British Council Visual Arts is offering grants of up to £10,000 to UK and eligible international biennials/festivals to showcase contemporary visual artists’ work. Countries eligible to apply are Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients. Applications are welcome from UK biennials/festivals showcasing work by contemporary visual artists from eligible countries and from biennials/festivals in eligible countries showcasing work by contemporary UK visual artists. Apply by 10 November
Applications are now open for the UK/Viet Nam Collaboration grants worth up to £20,000.
British Council are looking for innovative partnerships delivered by at least one UK-based organisation and at least one organisation based in Viet Nam that reflect on our past, our present, and our future relationship. The first grants available are for scoping potential partnerships. Apply by 13 November
Made in Scotland is a curated showcase that promotes high quality music, theatre and dance from Scotland-based artists, to international promoters and audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each year.
A partnership between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Creative Scotland, the Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) and the Scottish Music Centre (SMC), Made in Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.
The purpose of the Programme is to raise the international profile of Scottish artists through the promotion of Scottish work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Applications are open for both the 2023 Made in Scotland showcase, and for Onward International Touring of work which has been presented at the Fringe and has international touring opportunities as a result. Deadline for the showcase is 22 November
Since 2006 the British Council has run a well-established UK-China Connections through Culture (CtC) programme, which enables over 400 cultural professionals in China and the UK to see one another's work, exchange skills and co-develop projects. CtC offers Professional Development Grants with a value of £2,500 to enable artists or members of arts organisations to work with their counterparts in China or the UK, and Alumni Grants for CtC alumni to further facilitate collaboration and partnerships. Applications open 27 October 2022, with a deadline of 27 November 2022.
In light of the dramatic situation in Ukraine, Creative Europe will provide support in 2023 to Ukrainian artists and cultural operators as well as to Ukrainian cultural and creative organisations in these extremely challenging times. It will also support actions aimed at safeguarding or rescuing cultural heritage in Ukraine. The UK is no longer a participating country in Creative Europe, but in some schemes it is possible to participate in projects to a limited degree. Deadline 29 November
Oulu 2026 Finland’s European Capital of Culture 2026, has an open call for projects from Finnish and international actors. Relevant themes include art and technology, art and nature, creative spaces and places, regional food culture, festival development, minority cultures, sustainability and more. You can register for webinars on 19 October and 22 November. Apply by 9 December.
The Culture of Solidarity Fund has been relaunched as a pan-European effort at the beginning of the war in Ukraine to respond to local cultural emergency needs. After an initial phase of cultural emergency relief, the Fund is now open to individuals, collectives and organisations from all sectors and civil society at large that propose short-term or mid-term European cultural initiatives in the following three areas: counteracting disinformation, misinformation and propaganda filter bubbles; providing and nourishing safe cultural spaces for individuals feeling their homes and look for shelter; counteracting forces of fragmentation through artistic and cultural expressions.
Open throughout the year, Scottish Books International’s Author International Travel Fund is available to Scottish writers who have been invited overseas to promote their work. Applicants can apply for a maximum of £1000 to support travel costs towards their trip. There are no deadlines, and applications are accepted each quarter as long as there is budget left, taking around four to five weeks to turnaround. Since re-opening the fund in February, Scottish Books International has supported 18 Scottish writers already, and you can check the Featured Authors on their website.
The University of the Arts has now published the New Landscapes pilot programme report, in partnership with British Council. The first of its kind, this report shares the findings and five case studies nurturing international cooperation around ethically responsible and socially engaged fashion and textile design.
On The Move have just launched their new Mobility Funding Guide focused on the Balkan region as part of its multiannual programme co-funded by the European Union. This publication is meant to be a resource for artists and other arts workers looking to finance their cross-border travel to and/or from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
Do you need a CITES certificate to travel with a musical instrument? The quick answer is “yes, sometimes”. To be on the safe side, any travel with a musical instrument involving the crossing of borders should be carefully prepared. Visit PEARLE and FIM’s new website for more information.
In April 2022, IETM gathered its members in Brussels to explore, critique and improve work practices and conditions. Are they fair and human enough? What does “fair’’ mean in your specific professional context? Which practices and conditions can you and your organisation change, and what is beyond your power? With contributions from 173 participants, IETM has compiled an in-depth report to showcase the intentions and outcomes of the meeting, which mapped the urgencies, recommendations and good practices in the performing arts sector.
Catch up on the Creativity for Sustainability Conference from 28 September in Slovenia
On 22 September, experts issued a new report on “Stormy Times. Nature and humans: Cultural courage for change”, which presents a set of recommendations to rethink the relationship between humans and nature, to fuel our cultural imagination for a liveable, sustainable future. Key messages are recalling some of the priorities at the centre of the European Commission's concerns and in particular a view to further strengthen the interplay between culture and sustainable development in EU policies and actions.
Mariya Gabriel’s October update features the Creative Europe special call for Ukraine; a tender to run the next phase of Perform Europe and support 35 performing arts projects across Europe; the tender for a consortia of two organisations to work further on Music Moves Europe goals of competitiveness, innovation and diversity within music sector organisations; and the upcoming launch of the new permanent Creative Europe mobility scheme for individuals with a budget of €21 million called Culture Moves Europe.
Creative Scotland, in collaboration with people and organisations from across the culture sector in Scotland, and with the support of Scottish Government, launches a new initiative aimed at promoting the value that art and creativity contributes to all our lives.
With a dedicated website at its centre, Our Creative Voice is a new platform for demonstrating the tangible benefits that art and creativity contribute to our lives.
Several case studies, such as North Lands Creative, show the way in which international working can weave into and enrich local activity, and be sure to share your own stories too!
And finally, here are some core sources of information on international working:
Don’t forget that all events, workshops and funding opportunities can be found if you filter by ‘International’ on Creative Scotland’s Opportunities website.
