New Conversations announces third round of UK-Canada investments that respond to the current world context

September 29, 2020—British Council, Farnham Maltings, Canada Council for the Arts and the High Commission of Canada in the UK and are inviting applications to the third round of their jointly funded New Conversations programme.

Applications are now open to UK-Canada artistic partners working in theatre and dance for grants of up to $6,000 CAD / £3,500 GBP to explore how they can develop new creative ideas, exchange knowledge and practice without meeting in person.

Launched in 2018, New Conversations started as a two-year programme designed to encourage exchange between Canadian and UK artists with an emphasis on physical exchange and artist mobility. The first two rounds invested £121,000 in 22 partnerships, many of which have developed into ongoing projects, further exchanges and friendships. Following the success of the first two rounds, Canada Council joined the partnership in 2020.

Round Three of the programme responds to a radically different context. In light of the current restrictions on international travel and the ongoing climate emergency, the ambition of this round is to learn how partnerships can develop and flourish remotely and see how artists and arts organizations respond creatively to this challenge.

New Conversations is open to Canada and UK-based individual artists, collectives, independent companies and organizations of theatre and dance. Cross artform collaborations with a strong and relevant theatre and/or dance foundation are also welcomed.

Applications for the Round Three of New Conversations open on 28 September and close on 27 November 2020.  The application pack and guidelines are available from the Farnham Maltings and British Council websites.

NOTES TO EDITORS

New Conversations is funded by British Council, Farnham Maltings, Canada Council for the Arts and the High Commission of Canada in the UK. Farnham Maltings’ involvement is made possible by support from Arts Council England.

Farnham Maltings is a cultural organisation based in Surrey, England and working on a local, national and international level. We support, collaborate with and invest in artists to make new theatre and reach new audiences. We believe that the arts help us to make sense of the world, bring people together and articulate new ideas. We support a network of 180 venues across the south east of England, organise a bi-annual showcase of new English performance for an international audience, produce a stable of independent theatre companies and are working to diversify the makers and audience for the arts in the UK. Farnham Maltings is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and receives specific support for its international programme. Registered charity no 305034. farnhammaltings.com

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 75 million people directly and 758 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. britishcouncil.org

The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder. The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes, and payments contribute to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene and support its presence across Canada and abroad. The Council’s investments foster greater engagement in the arts among Canadians and international audiences. canadacouncil.ca

The High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom is the country’s diplomatic mission to the UK. The High Commission works to enrich the Canada-UK bilateral relationship across cultural and creative industries through a range of activities including: exhibitions hosted in our gallery space within Canada House on Trafalgar Square, events that showcase Canadian culture across the country, our work with UK and Canadian partners and a Culture Canada website all to build awareness of the Canadian cultural presence in the UK. canadainternational.gc.ca