Call for Participants

The British Council is delighted to announce the Crafting Futures UK Study Tour for craft and textiles curators and collectors – a new initiative within our Crafting Futures programme, aiming to create more opportunities for exchange between Asian and British craft curators, museums, galleries and programmes in order to generate greater storytelling and promotion of women in sustainable and ethical craft-based textile production. 

We are seeking 6 excellent candidates based in Malaysia, Myanmar or Thailand to participate in a study tour to the UK in June 2018. The study tour will include visits to museums, galleries, archives, collections and sites of production across the UK. Participants will have the chance to network with British curators, museum workers, craft organisations and practitioners. 

The aim of the study visit is to: 

  • Build stronger connections with the UK sector and create opportunities for future exchange 
  • Learn about curation and storytelling practices around craft and textiles in the UK 
  • Create opportunities for further storytelling around female textile artisans in Asia

In addition to the study tour, participants will be tasked to deliver events, activities, creative projects or exhibitions within their own institutions or organisations in order to tell the story of female textile artisans from their region to a contemporary and young audience. Preference and priority will be given to projects which connect clearly to the existing British Council Crafting Futures projects and their beneficiaries. For more information on the existing projects, you please visits our website here, or get in touch at Kendall.Robbins@britishcouncil.org

British Council will support the projects through seed funding of £1,500 to each participant.

Responsibilities of the British Council

British Council will: 

  • Pay a grant to support flights to the UK (£900), visa fee (£80), a daily per diem of £50 for a 7 day visit (£350) and London airport transfers (£40). The total grant for travel costs will be £1370. 
  • Provide technical support on applying for a UK visa
  • Arrange and purchase accommodation for the nights of the study tour 
  • Purchase and arrange group transportation for the duration of the study tour; travel outside of the study tour (public transport or taxis) must be covered by the delegates 
  • Arrange a guided study tour within the UK by a UK expert 
  • Provide a grant of £1,500 for seed funding of a project in response to the study tour promoting the work of Southeast Asian female textile artisans 

Responsibilities of participants

Participants will: 

  • Sign and return contracting documents in a timely manner by deadline requested 
  • Provide British Council with the necessary information to arrange accommodation 
  • Attend the duration of the study tour; private meetings or visits can be made outside of the study tour, but participants are requested to attend all of the organised programme 
  • Submit a revised and final proposal for a project following the study tour for approval by the British Council, which should include a budget breakdown and evaluation plan
  • Deliver a project following the study tour based on the terms of the grant contract before September 2018 unless otherwise agreed upon in advance in writing
  • Submit an evaluation report within one month of the project completion using a template provided by the British Council 

Application process 

To apply, please send you application package to Kendall.Robbins@britishcouncil.org by 28 February 2018, 5PM UK time. Successful candidates will be informed by 2 March 2018.  

Your application package should include:

  • A CV and a covering letter addressing all qualities and experiences that support your case to join the study tour;
  • A short proposal about activity you could programme around female textile artisans from your country, including an indicative budget for the activity which identifies sources of funding beyond the British Council’s seed fund if needed to deliver the project and an evaluation plan. Preference will be given to proposals which seek to engage the beneficiaries or participants already involved in the British Council’s Crafting Futures programme;
  • Please make us aware of any access requirements for travel, including translation, mobility or dietary. 

Selection process

Participants will be selected based on the relevancy of their background and project proposal to the Crafting Futures programme’s aims and objectives. British Council is unable to provide translation support, so candidates will be expected to have an understanding of English. Applicants must be based in Malaysia, Myanmar or Thailand, and we will endeavour to select 2 representatives from each country.

For more information, please download the open call document below.

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