The British Council supports the development of the arts and culture sectors in Việt Nam through engagement and collaboration with the UK sectors. This series of small grants aims to assist individual artists and independent art organisations in Việt Nam and the UK who are interested in connecting with each other, whether to facilitate exchange and build capacity, to embark on study visit, research and development, or to showcase artistic works, which can signpost potential for future UK – Việt Nam collaboration.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Vietnamese artists or art organisations interested in working with partners in the UK, or UK-based artists or art organisations interested in working with partners in Việt Nam. We welcome project or activity proposals in one of the three following areas:
- Connection: You are interested in connecting with an artist or art organisation in Việt Nam or the UK for a study visit or research and development for a future collaborative project. For the scope of this Small Grants, we ask that you have already identified and made contact with a potential partner in the other country by the time of submission.
- Exposure: You are interested in giving or participating in a professional development opportunity in Việt Nam or the UK (i.e. workshop, residency, artist talk, training, short course, show, exhibition, festival, etc.). For the scope of this Small Grants, we encourage you to engage with professional development opportunities that could potentially lead to future UK – Việt Nam collaboration.
- Showcase: You are interested in showcasing UK art and culture in Việt Nam, or Vietnamese art and culture in the UK. For the scope of this Small Grants, we recommend that you plan on showcasing existing works and focus on connecting with the audience.
For those who are seeking grant funding for UK – Việt Nam collaboration to create and showcase new works, we advise you to apply for the British Council’s Connections through Culture Grants.
Priority will be given to:
- Activities that foster and/or lead to future UK – Việt Nam collaboration, indicating potential for longer-term connections beyond this grant.
- Activities by independent artists and arts organisations who have not previously worked with the British Council.
- Activities that support the legacy (i.e. showcasing existing works) of successful UK – Việt Nam collaborations previously funded by the British Council.
- Activities that contribute to the development and diversity of artistic and creative practice in Việt Nam.
- Activities taking place in or outside of urban centres in all parts of Việt Nam.
- Activities involving early career artists and creatives (i.e. less than 10 years of practice), and those from less visible communities such as ethnic minority, women, people with disability, and LGBTQI+ groups.
- Activities that address social concerns such as climate change, heritage protection, gender equality, and sustainability.
TERMS OF THE GRANTS
Grants will be offered to successful applicants to cover all costs in relations to travel, professional development or showcase activities taking place between May 2025 and March 2026.
The value of each grant should be between £1,000 and £2,500 (approximately VND 30,000,000 to VND 75,000,000), inclusive of all applicable taxes.
A grant agreement will be issued with detailed terms and conditions. Upon completion, grantees are expected to provide a short narrative report including attendance/reach figure if applicable, and a financial report of all expenses.
The British Council’s support must be acknowledged on all promotional materials, including social media.
APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply please fill out this online application form.
We welcome applications between 15 April 2025 and 15 January 2026. Selection will be led by the British Council Viet Nam Arts team. We aim to make decision and notify you within 15 working days after receiving your application.
Please note that our grants cannot be used retrospectively.
Due to capacity issue, we unfortunately cannot offer individual feedback to all applications. However, if you feel that our feedback would be helpful for future funding opportunities, please do write to us and we will do our best to get back to you.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be evaluated using the following set of criteria
- Concept – 40% (Is there evidence of artistic quality and benefit to the individual/organisation? Is there evidence of value to the art community and the audience? Is the approach new and creative and likely to result in long lasting impact? Is there evidence of existing plan or interest in partnering with Vietnamese or UK-based artists and creatives?)
- Delivery – 40% (Is the activity plan well thought-through and articulated? Is there evidence of capacity to deliver the plan? Is there a good plan for communication and audience engagement? Is the budget well-planned and feasible?)
- Priority – 20% (Does the proposal involve one or more of the priority areas? Does the activity plan demonstrate clear support in the priority area(s)?)