Anastasiia Gruba during her artist residency, 2025. 

The British Council is continuing its artist residency programme for artists and cultural professionals whose work has been affected by war. Participants receive time, space and resources for their own projects, get to know the UK cultural scene and build professional connections.

The programme is run in partnership with Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales / Wales Arts International and partners in Northern Ireland. It supports artists from countries affected by war, conflict, displacement and political instability, including Ukraine, Myanmar, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen.

Host organisations in 2026–2027

Four cultural organisations in the UK will host residencies for participants from Ukraine.

Art form: literature

Moniack Mhor is a writers’ centre in the Scottish Highlands that has hosted residencies for writers from many countries for over 20 years. The residency covers fiction and non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting and translation. It offers time to focus on a project and a chance to meet Scotland’s literary community, including the publishing and translation sectors.

Art form: performing arts (playwriting and dance)

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of the leading cultural centres in Wales and part of Aberystwyth University. Its programme covers visual arts, literature, theatre and other art forms. The residency offers workspace and professional support tailored to the artist’s practice, as well as an introduction to the arts scene in Wales, the university community and local communities.

Art form: visual arts

Spike Island is a centre for contemporary art in Bristol with 50 years’ experience of supporting artists through exhibitions, residencies and professional programmes. It has artists’ studios and workshops. The residency is aimed at visual artists working in moving image, ceramics and sculpture, as well as research-based and socially engaged practice. It offers the chance to work on your own project, use the centre’s resources and widen your contacts in the UK art and curatorial community.

Art form: visual and interdisciplinary arts

Metal Culture is a cultural organisation that has run international residencies for people in a range of creative professions for 20 years. The residency offers time and space for creative work and research, professional exchange and a chance to get to know the local cultural scene. It is particularly suited to socially engaged, interdisciplinary and research-based practice. The format is flexible and adapted to the needs of each participant.

Participants

The names of participants and the dates of the residencies will be announced later.

A continuing collaboration

The 2026–2027 programme continues the collaboration that began during the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture in 2023 and expanded in 2025–2026.

‘It was a wonderful opportunity to get back to the creative part of myself – to start writing again,’ says writer and translator Tania Rodionova, who took part in a residency at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in Wales in 2025.

Find out more about the programme and its 2025–2026 participants
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