The Philippines has an energetic and vibrant culture, evident in the numerous industries and communities emerging and subsequently, residing in the country. These creative hubs and groups flourish because of their chosen audience’s loyalty to their mission, as well as the holistic approach to a certain aspect of Filipino culture. Yet, some individuals and communities may still struggle maintaining their stand within their chosen fields due to lack of support from local institutions and insufficient financial realities. This is where the British Council comes in.
As the United Kingdom’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, the British Council supports prosperity through forming connections between the people in the UK and countries worldwide. They do so through their work in arts, culture, education, and the English language. One key contribution of this organization is the Connections Through Culture grants program designed to nurture fresh cultural partnerships between Asia and the UK.
“Can You Hear The Fish Cry” by BINHI Creatives
“Inspiring Creative Action” by Twinkle Ferraren
According to the British Council, the Connections Through Culture grant was established in August 2019 in Southeast Asia which was built from a successful program in China in 2006. It was created to foster new artistic and cultural collaborations between the UK and East Asia, with the main goal of this grant being aligned with the organization’s role in creating connections between the UK and the Philippines. Moreover, “it is designed to respond to ever-changing sector needs and wider socio-economic contexts within both countries, and encourages new collaborations which respond to global challenges such as inclusion, sustainability, and gender equality.” In short, it has indeed supported the projects and careers of both British and Filipino artists and organizations. This is through the successful rounds this grant has gone through, creating a multitude of collaborations and partnerships that transcended its grant period.
Remaining steadfast in supporting new ideas and collaborations from artists and cultural organizations, the British Council has chosen ten (10) representatives each in the Philippines and the UK that would focus on diversity and inclusion, and addressing climate change.
“God Save the Queers Bless the Badings” by Elephant Party
“Performing Diwata” by Ram Botero
“Wild Patch” by Derek Tumala
For 2023 Philippine representatives, the grantees are as follows.
UPOU-FICS, Dr. Diego S. Maranan for “Biosignals”, a collaborative project with Dr. Amy Holt that “unites diverse perspectives in order to create a planet-wide new media artwork”.
Komiket works with Lakes Arts Festival for “Comics Create A Better World”, which “focuses on exchanging knowledge to engage children and young people in the process of creating their own original work on climate change”.
ELEPHANT for “God Save the Queers, Bless the Badings” project, that would “culminate in a month-long Queer Festival in June 2024 in partnership with INFERNO LONDON, aiming to platform the spectrum of religious experiences through a queer lens by interpolating activism in alternative queer art and nightlife spaces”.
Twinkle Ferraren and League of Artisans CIC work together for the project on “Inspiring Creative Action to Help Artisan Communities Surmount Climate Change Induced Disaster”, that will “develop a practical toolkit for textile artisans in disaster-prone areas as they draw from experiences in Kerala, India, Sri Lanka, and Peru”.
Binhi Creatives collaborates with Michelle Roche for “Listen: Can you hear the fish cry? An embodied audio project with writers in the UK and the Philippines platforming voices impacted by Climate Crisis”, an innovative project that “fosters cross-cultural dialogue between artists in Bacolod and the UK”.
Ram Botero for “Performing Diwata: ecotransfeminism in precolonial Philippine mythology”, a research and development project with Giulia Casalini that “tackles the theme of precolonial Philippine mythology whilst intersecting its legacy in contemporary society”.
Gantala Press, Inc. worked with Tilted Axis Press for “Song and Sovereignty: Food Justice and the Preservation of Local Farming Culture”, that “seeks to preserve the literary culture of women in the Philippines amidst changing farming practices due to climate change and political instability”.
Mica Cabildo and Curtis Cresswell collaborated for “The Possibility of Forests: Twin Installations in a Celtic Rainforest and a Tropical Cloud Forest”, exploring the “climate-sensitive biomes through interactive media, art, and ecology practices”.
TAYO House of Culture & Creativity and Beatriz Gemperle for “Where the Flowers Bloom: Transforming the Colonial study and artistry of Philippine-UK Botanicals through weaving identity in the retelling of Biodiversity amidst the Ecological Crisis”, as it aims to “deconstruct and reimagine the colonial study of Philippine botanicals by incorporating Filipino identity in the collaborative process of botanical preservation”.
Finally, Derek Tumala who worked with Ligaya Salazar for “Wild Patch”, a multi-site project exploring the symbolism of weeds, challenging societal norms and othering.
“Ren Galano” by Komiket
“Songs and Sovereignty” by Gantala Press
“Both the UK and the Philippines have a diverse and prosperous arts scene that spans a multitude of art forms. [However,] the main difference between the two ecosystems is the allocated support that UK institutions are able to provide for artists and organizations,” the British Council has stated with regards to the definition of the creative art scene in the two countries. Since there is the acknowledgment of the lack of support within the country, this is the gap in which the organization wants to fill in, through providing an “opportunity to create collaborations and connections, inspiring learning and knowledge exchange with each of their own cultural identities.”
“Where The Flowers Bloom” by TAYO
Aside from monetary support, the British Council has said that the grant “also hopes to build and strengthen connections between UK and Philippine artists, providing platforms wherein they can find more opportunities to collaborate and sustain projects that would cover more ground in the long run. With topics such as diversity, inclusion, and climate change, (they) hope that the artists will be able to shine light on such through art.” This is what makes the Connections Through Culture grant different from other grants provided by the British Council, as it highlights the importance of interconnection and learning from one another.
Furthermore, “unlike other art grant schemes such as the Biennials Connect support for Visual Artists and the International Collaboration Grant, Connections Through Culture is open to a broader range of art forms and art practitioners, and supports country-specific partnerships,” the British Council said.
As artists and art practitioners continue to struggle in finding the right avenues to promote their works, as well as support for their endeavors, they must not forget that these grants exist. While the Connections Through Culture grantees have already been selected, the British Council has still an ongoing grant for International Collaboration this 2024. This grant opened last 31 January 2024, and will close on 30 April 2024. For more information, kindly visit this link to learn more about its application and requirements.
Thus, while one door has already closed, another door remains open for aspiring artists and creatives in the Philippines to still pursue their art career amidst the difficulties of having one in today’s time and circumstances.
CREDITS
WRITER Ina Palaruan
EDITOR Tricia Quintero
DESIGNER Bea Pangandian
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