International Markets

The Creative Industries Council has revealed its 50 Ones To Watch in a new report published at the Createch 2019 conference, part of London Tech Week, on Tuesday 11 June 2019. Included in the 50 are Culture Diary members Marshamallow Laser Feast, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Shakespeare Company

The report features four main growth opportunities where creative skills interact with artificial intelligence, mixed reality and other forms of technology:

Crafts Council, the national develoopment agency for contemporary crafts in the UK, has created the International Export Toolkit using funding from the Department for International Trade.

The toolkit includes information on logistics, a 'how-to' guide, international events, case studies, and top tips from industry advisors and makers.

Read and download the International Export Toolkit:

VisitBritain has opened funding applications dedicated to the development of international business events in the UK for its fourth year in a row.

In 2018, the Business Events Growth Programme (formerly the Event Support Programme) awarded £173,000 to new and existing events, increasing international delegate attendance and profile to help support UK destinations and venues.

Funding is open to applications from convention bureaus, destination management organisations or event venues and organisers including universities and associations.

British Council's new Art new Audiences open call is looking to fund 10 projects that will lead to the creation of work to reach fresh audiences in both the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Major projects can bid for up to £30,000 while £5–10,000 will be available for experimental project proposals. 

Successful projects will:

As part of Hong Kong Arts Month in March 2019, French-Italian fashion brand Moncler got fashion and style online magazine Hypebeast together with street culture icon and streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara and art critic Hans Ulrich Obrist for a talk on 'Imagination in the Digital Age'.

You can watch the fascinating discussion below or by clicking here.

VisitBritain's annual travel trade event for the tourism industry now in its fifth year, opens 8–10 May 2019.

VisitBritain is gearing up to host its annual flagship travel trade event to sell destination Britain to the world.

ExploreGB takes place in Harrogate, Yorkshire where more than 250 international travel buyers from 31 countries will do business with more than 320 tourism suppliers.

British Council has revealed its lineup of 30 artists for the Edinburgh Showcase, a programme of performing arts that takes place every two years at the Edinburgh International and Fringe Festivals, 

Opening 19–24 August 2019, British Council's Edinburgh Showcase gives theatre and dance companies their biggest chance to show work to international promoters, potentially opening up export opportunities.

This year's showcases is filled with women writers and performers, and promises a range of issues including gender, disability, identity and race. The full lineup is:

Department for International Trade has led on the launch of the UK Garden and Pavilion at Beijing Expo 2019, the largest horticultural exhibition in the world. It includes five months of cultural, creative and other activities developed with partners British Council, VisitBritain and more.

British Council is offering a two-week residency in Japan to five chosen UK-based artists as part of the UK in Japan 2019-20 season. The residency will take place over two weeks from 5-18 October 2019.

Download application details here. Deadline for applications is 7 May at 4pm. Follow all instructions to be considered for the residency. Summary of the residency is included below.

Applicants should:

British Council has opened its Edinburgh International Festival Artist Development Programme for 2019, and is looking for minority ethnic and / or disabled artists who want to take work to the world-renowned festival. The programme takes place 20–22 August 2019.

Successful artists will receive a ticket budget to see a diverse range of shows, attend events and expand professional networks. They will also gain special access to British Council's Edinburgh Showcase, with its hand-picked selection of international artists.