The second round of the Four Nations International Fund has been confirmed, with applications due to open in September.
The fund is designed to support innovative models of international cultural exchange. It is open to people working in the arts and creative industries in the UK who wish to collaborate with their counterparts in Europe and beyond.
A total budget of £240,000 has been allocated for this round. Applicants can request up to £7,500 for in-person, digital or hybrid activity, including exchanges, residencies, partnership development, co-creation and networking.
The fund is backed by co-investment from Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales/Wales Arts International and Creative Scotland.
The first round of the fund supported 38 projects involving 82 British creatives working with 48 international partners based in more than 24 countries. The artist-led proposals that received funding addressed key issues facing society, including injustice, gender identity and environmental sustainability.
“The development of art and culture thrives on international collaboration and exchange,” said Dana MacLeod, Executive Director of Arts, Communities and Inclusion at Creative Scotland.
“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.”
She said that the maximum funding amount available had been increased 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 light of the impacts of Brexit and the pandemic, as well as the climate emergency, she said that by working together the arts councils and agencies “can more effectively help address challenges for artists and creative practitioners across the UK and enable them to connect with their international counterparts”.