ISLAMABAD: The British Council in partnership with the UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Thursday launched its pilot funding round for the Cultural Protection Fund.

The pilot funding round had opened with a call for expressions of interest from organisations based in Pakistan that were working on projects related to heritage protection involving local communities and climate change.

In this round, they were expected to award one project with a value of £500,000 and five projects with a value of £100,000.

A statement issued here said that the Cultural Protection Fund was driven by the profound objective of cultivating sustainable opportunities for social and economic development.

Pakistan-based organisations working on heritage protection projects asked to submit EoIs

It accomplished this by nurturing the capacity to foster, safeguard, and promote cultural heritage. The initiative actively funded projects that ensured the safety of cultural heritage sites and objects while concurrently supporting efforts in recording, conserving, and restoring cultural treasures.

Furthermore, it extended its reach to local communities by offering training and educational opportunities, thus enabling, and empowering them for the long term to appreciate, protect, and derive benefits from their cultural heritage.

In alignment with the British Council’s ethos, the Cultural Protection Fund was dedicated to preserving and promoting cultural heritage, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures, and facilitating educational and economic growth in conflict-affected regions.

Deputy Director British in Council Pakistan, Maarya Rehman said: “The British Council shares the Fund’s vision of protecting and promoting cultural heritage. The Cultural Protection Fund stands as a symbol of hope, ensuring that heritage is not only safeguarded, but also creates sustainable opportunities for economic and social development for future generations.

The Director Arts British Council in Pakistan, Laila Jamil said: “We are very pleased to announce a programme that seeks to protect cultural heritage at risk due to conflict or climate change. This year we ran workshops and engaged with the wider heritage sector to lay the foundations for this work.

We now look forward to receiving many compelling applications. With Pakistan at the forefront of climate change impact, this programme offers an opportunity for heritage experts and Pakistani organisations working on cultural preservation to further their important work and to also have the prospect of collaborating internationally.”

This round was open to organizations that were legally registered in Pakistan and proposals must be submitted by a legally registered organization and applications must be submitted by one lead applicant organization with up to eight partner organizations. The lead applicant must be based in Pakistan and would be responsible for all reporting. The statement said that the funding was available for projects commencing in April 2024. Projects could run for any duration but at the latest must finish by 31 January 2025.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023