The Connections Through Culture (CTC) programme nurtures fresh cultural partnerships between the UK and countries in Asia Pacific and Europe. These grants support new ideas and collaborations from artists and cultural organisations at any stage of development.

The latest round of Connections Through Culture programme supports a diverse range of projects spanning artistic disciplines and themes. From diversity and inclusion to climate change and beyond, these collaborations bring together partners across borders to generate fresh ideas and creative solutions to today’s shared challenges.

CTC supports new connections, exchanges, and collaborations between artists, cultural professionals, creative practitioners and art and cultural organisations.

2025 Grant Recipients: Nepal

AmplifiHer: A Music Production Workshop for Women and Non-binary People

Nepal: Echoes in the Valley

UK: Caitlin Laing

Responding to the urgent need for women and non-binary music producers in Nepal, AmplifiHer offers intensive training and mentorship that builds technical expertise while preparing participants to become future educators, ensuring lasting impact. At the same time, it creates a meeting ground between UK and Nepali musicians, where traditional and contemporary sounds are shared, reinterpreted, and expanded, opening new possibilities for collaboration.

Charged Steps - Pace of Earth: A Disabled-Led, Solar-Powered Journey Across Cultures

Nepal: Kala Yatra

UK: Northern Light Project

This project proposes a unique, disabled-led artistic collaboration between Kala Yatra (Nepal), rooted in Nepal's profound Buddhist walking culture, and Northern Lights Project (Northern Ireland), situated near the mythic Giant's Causeway – a legendary pathway across the sea. It centres on the artist's use of a cyber exoskeleton, transforming mobility limitations into a creative framework exploring pace, accessibility, and environmental harmony.

Creative Access: Building Inclusive Practice in Kathmandu

Nepal: Sattya Media Arts Collective
UK: Em Pickford

Creative Access: Building Inclusive Practice in Kathmandu is a UK–Nepal collaboration between Sattya Media Arts Collective and UK photographer Em Pickford. The project empowers disabled and underrepresented people, particularly those with cerebral palsy and other neurological disabilities, through hands-on creative workshops in photography, street art, and zine-making. 

Kutsching

Nepal: Kaalo.101
UK: Outburst Queer Arts Festival

This project launches a creative exchange between Outburst (Northern Ireland) and Kaalo.101 (Nepal) under the theme “Reimagining Public Space as a Site of Queer Visibility and Engagement.” In February 2026, two Outburst artists will join five Nepali queer artists for a residency in Kathmandu, followed by two Nepali artists travelling to Belfast for the Outburst Queer Arts Festival in November 2026. 

‘Maya: The Birth of a Superhero’ - Breaking Barriers - Transforming Menstrual Stigma Through Immersive Storytelling in Nepal

Nepal: Global Action Nepal (GAN)
UK: Just Another Production Company

'Maya: The Birth of a Superhero' transforms menstrual blood into cosmic power, shattering shame through immersive storytelling. Based upon Poulomi Basu’s art impact project ‘Blood Speaks’ about menstrual exile in Nepal, this award-winning work will be translated into Nepali to create both immersive VR and accessible 2D versions for community screenings across the country. 

Mererid's Aawaaj

Nepal: Educational Theatre In Nepal
UK: Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch

The roles of women in Welsh and Nepali societies differ greatly. The project aims to intertwine stories from both countries to create a theatrical piece celebrating the female voice. It seeks to uncover and honour female heroes within Welsh and Nepali cultures and narratives, and within every woman involved in the project, fostering a sense of belonging and empowering them to recognise that their voices deserve to be heard.