The Connections Through Culture grants programme is designed to nurture fresh cultural partnerships between East Asia and the UK. These grants are instrumental in supporting new ideas and collaborations from artists and cultural organisations at any stage of development.

The grants supported in this round of Connections Through Culture programme have focused on two distinct areas: diversity and inclusion and, addressing climate change. The collaborative efforts across borders and artistic disciplines will lead to new thoughts and ideas created to address global challenges.

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.

Connections Through Culture grantees 2023

A Sun Dance at Tate St Ives

UK: Tate

Australia: Rochelle Haley

Australian artist Rochelle Haley's A Sun Dance, commissioned by the National Gallery of Australia, makes its international debut at Tate St Ives. At the core of the work is a relation between performer, sunlight and architecture. A Sun Dance is a key case study for the Australian Research Council funded project, Precarious Movements: Choreography and the Museum. The project will test and develop new principles of performance preservation with Tate Conservation. 

FANGIRLS Residency & Response

UK: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Australia: Paige Rattray

In response to the Lyric Hammersmith’s production of FANGIRLS, the grant will enable an international residency, whereby Director Paige Rattray and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre will explore and inform a new concept for a UK based response project for FANGIRLS, by learning from and exchanging ideas with Australian based organisations who excel at ground-breaking work with young people and support the development of FANGIRLS.

INNOVATE: Legacy & Learning

UK: Young Vic

Australia: CREATE Centre, The University of Sydney

INNOVATE: Legacy and Learning is an international knowledge and practice exchange between Young Vic Taking Part and CREATE Centre, Sydney, exploring examples of the use of artists, and the arts, in educational and learning settings. Focus areas include arts approaches to learning as vehicles for change, playful pedagogies and reflexive learning in schools and the civic role of arts organisations and theatres.

TAKING UP SPACE

UK: Yolanda Mercy

Australia: Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP)

In collaboration with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Yolanda Mercy will continue to explore creating work that amplifies the voices and representation of young people who identify as Plus Size. Following an initial fellowship at ATYP n 2023, she will work with their young people to create a celebratory piece which fuses music, dance and theatre to welcome plus size bodies taking up space. 

Media Articles