British Council WOW Grants for Artists
British Council invites artists and cultural practitioners in Bangladesh and UK to apply for WOW grants focusing on gender, art, and contemporary society.
The British Council has announced two open calls for artists, cultural practitioners, and arts organisations to participate in WOW – Women of the World, a global movement promoting gender equality through artistic and cultural work. The opportunity is open to individual artists and cultural practitioners based in Bangladesh or the United Kingdom, as well as arts organisations located in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Sylhet.
The WOW Bangladesh initiative invites proposals that engage with gender through artistic or cultural work addressing one or more of these themes: film, moving image and media aesthetics; hyperobject meets hyperobject: gender and the climate emergency; and STE(A)M: science, technology, (arts), engineering and maths.
Two funding categories are available:
1. WOW Bangladesh Commissions 2025: Grants of up to £12,000 (equivalent in Bangladeshi taka) support artists and cultural practitioners to develop, produce, and present works of art, exhibitions, performances, or screening programmes in Bangladesh during 2026.
2. WOW Bangladesh Chapters 2026: Grants of up to £23,000 (equivalent in Bangladeshi taka) support arts organisations to host, curate, produce, and present day-long WOW Bangladesh Chapter events between January 1 and August 30, 2026.
WOW Festivals began in Bangladesh through divisional chapters from 2017, culminating in a national festival in Dhaka in 2019. This year's initiative continues this legacy by supporting contemporary artistic practice at the intersection of art, culture, gender, and society.
Interested applicants are encouraged to attend an information webinar on November 6 at 5:30 PM for registered attendees to learn more about both open calls.