Festivals for the Future is a comprehensive, multi-year programme aimed at strengthening the creative economy of India’s art and culture festivals, in partnership with the UK.
Through the programme, the British Council aims to provide opportunities for creative expression, exchange and enterprise through trusted partnerships between India and the UK, bringing together India's most accomplished creative leaders and its emerging cultural festivals.
Festivals for the Future programme supports:
- artistic and cultural exchange with the UK
- thriving artists, cultural professionals and creative economies
- arts and culture development as a response to local and global challenges.
Arts and culture festivals are unique in developing a sense of place and cohesive communities; international exchange between artists; and access to diverse audiences with on and offline platforms.
The ambitious programme aims to internationalise India and UK festivals in partnership with festival leaders, artists and major stakeholders to provide access to skills development and training. We connect a wide-ranging network of festivals on major platforms.
We’ve worked in partnership with Spoken Fest, Tata Lit Live, JLF, FolkLog online festival, Hyderabad Literary Festival, Kolkata International Children’s Film Festival, Bengaluru By Design, International Theatre Festival of Kerala, Kalinga Lit Fest, NH7 Weekender, EyeMyth Media Arts Festival, Under the Rain, Hyderabad Design Week, Serendipity Arts Festival and Ziro reaching hundreds of thousands in India and online.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe attracts 4.5 million visitors to Scotland each summer, while the Durga Puja Festival is a celebration in Kolkata attracting over 2.5 million in 5 days. Festivals drive the creative economy and strengthen livelihoods.
