British Council commits £14m to protect global heritage

The British Council has announced £14m of funding to protect international heritage at risk from factors including conflict and climate change.

The funding will be distributed among 17 new projects over two-and-a-half years, through the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

The projects receiving funding include a plan by Egyptian NGO Megawra to revive and protect two Islamic monuments in Cairo, where rising temperatures and excessive flooding are damaging buildings and infrastructure. 

“From the conservation of 13th century manuscripts in Gaza, to preserving buildings in Cairo, it is vital we do our utmost to protect precious global heritage at risk due to climate change and conflict,” said Arts Minister Lord Parkinson.

The British Council received an unprecedented level of high-quality proposals for funding, said Stephanie Grant, Director of the Cultural Protection Fund.

“The selected projects represent a diverse range of approaches to protecting cultural heritage, but with a shared motivation to safeguard cultural heritage for future generations, tackle urgent global challenges and deliver positive societal and economic impact for local populations,” she said.

The British Council also announced that it will fund two year-long research fellowships on cultural relations and climate action, in partnership with the American University of Cairo, the Indian Institute of Technology and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh.

Two early-career researchers from the global south will receive funding to undertake fellowships at the University of Cambridge.