Projects will focus on protecting heritage across the Middle East and North Africa, including a British Museum project to counteract illicit trade in Egypt and Sudan.
The latest details of organisations who will receive funding from the UK’s Cultural Protection Fund have been announced. Up to £6 million will be used to protect and preserve archaeological sites and religious monuments which have suffered as a result of conflict in the region, as well as preserving intangible cultural heritage and counteracting illicit trade. Specialists will work to restore historic homes in Lebanon, protect culturally significant built heritage in Occupied Palestinian Territories and counteract illicit trade in Egypt and Sudan.
The Fund was established by the British Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2016 to safeguard and promote cultural heritage at risk due to conflict overseas. The latest round of funding will also back projects based in Sudan, Lebanon and Egypt.
A detailed list of funding awarded is available: www.britishcouncil.org/arts/culture-development/cultural-protection-fund
The Fund was introduced in order to protect and preserve cultural heritage across the Middle East and North Africa, which has been increasingly under threat in the region as Daesh gained power. Cultural heritage includes physical monuments and religious sites; as well as “intangible” heritage: inherited traditions, beliefs and cultural identity which have been passed down through generations.
Graham Sheffield CBE, British Council Director Arts, said: “It is immensely gratifying to see the very real difference that the Cultural Protection Fund is already making in communities, buildings and monuments across the Middle East and North Africa. The protection and preservation of cultural heritage for future generations is in all of our interests and I’m delighted that we can continue to create valuable opportunities for the UK sector to utilise their experience and expertise in this vital field.”
John Glen, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism said: “The Cultural Protection Fund provides essential support for countries where heritage is threatened by conflict. By sharing Britain's expertise and training people in countries such as Sudan, Lebanon and Egypt, we are helping to protect historic sites of global significance.”
"At a time when some of the world's most important monuments and artefacts are being damaged and destroyed by conflict, this fund is helping to preserve heritage for future generations."
This is the third tranche of Funding which has been awarded to organisations to carry out work in cultural heritage protection and preservation. Previous projects have included one which will work to expand access to the largest private collection of Arabic Manuscripts in Jerusalem: the Khalidi Library in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Cultural Protection Fund is managed by the British Council – the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations – in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It aims to foster, safeguard and promote cultural heritage overseas.
The £30 million Fund is a key part of the British Council’s work in Culture and Development overseas, which focuses on ambitious, artistic and creative initiatives that foster social cohesion, freedom of expression, inclusive institutions, dynamic communities, and improved social and economic well-being.
For more information about the Cultural Protection Fund, a full list of those organisations awarded the Fund and details of their proposals, visit www.britishcouncil.org/arts/culture-development
Process by which grants are awarded: applications to the Fund are assessed by cultural heritage experts and evaluated by an Approvals Panel.
- The Cultural Protection Fund is open for small grants (up to £100K) and large grants (more than £100K) applications.
- Grants are available to applicants working with local partners in one or more of the Fund’s target countries: Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen.
- There are separate application processes for small and large grants. For large grants there are two rounds of funding per financial year, and small grants are decided on a quarterly basis. All applicants are asked to complete an online expression of interest form in order to confirm eligibility, before being invited to complete an online application form.
- All applicants need to provide a clear project plan and timeline, evidence of demand, delivery capability, detailed project costs and information on how risks will be managed and monitored. Project evaluation is a key requirement of all grant awards.
- Applications are assessed by a team of Grant Managers and a pool of Specialist Assessors. They are then reviewed by the Approvals Panel.
For media requests and more information about the British Council contact
Karolina Szlasa, Senior Press Officer karolina.szlasa@britishcouncil.org // 07769 285079
About the British Council’s work in Culture and Development
Our Culture and Development team support the building of creative, open, inclusive and secure societies. We currently operate a range Official Development Assistance programmes in some of the most difficult operating environments across the globe. Our work focuses on ambitious, artistic and creative initiatives that foster social cohesion, freedom of expression, inclusive institutions, dynamic communities, and improved social and economic well-being. We develop structured and sustainable programmes that encourage engagement and a strong sense of cultural identity at an individual and a community level. Our approach includes safely connecting with the past in order to explore new futures and to generate new opportunities. This helps to build individual resilience, encourage community engagement, protect vital cultural heritage, and support policy development.
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 65 million people directly and 731 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. https://www.britishcouncil.org