The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the British Council are implementing the joint programme “Societal Resilience through Culture”, aimed at developing an inclusive cultural environment, supporting vulnerable groups, and strengthening societal resilience through arts and creative practices. The initiative is delivered within the framework of the One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Projects Supported by the British Council
Following a competitive selection process, seven projects from across Ukraine will receive funding under the programme, spanning the performing arts, visual arts, cultural heritage, and audiovisual arts sectors.
Performing Arts
'Shared Stage: Theatre as a Space for Self-Expression Without Barriers'
Zakarpattia Academic Regional Music and Drama Theatre named after the Sherehi Brothers | Uzhhorod
The project transforms the theatre into an inclusive space where artists with disabilities and neurodivergent participants work alongside professional actors as equals. Outcomes will include an inclusive theatre production, four arts workshops, and universal design solutions to improve the physical accessibility of the theatre. The co-creation practices established through the project will continue beyond the grant period.
'EQUALS: Theatre Without Barriers'
Civil Society Organisation 'Union of People with Disabilities "Perspektyva"' | Cherkasy
The project establishes a sustainable inclusive playback theatre studio for veterans and people with disabilities. Over four months, participants will develop acting skills and psychological self-support practices, before the studio embarks on a touring programme to hospitals and communities across Cherkasy Oblast — Kaniv, Uman, Zvenyhorodka, Zolotonosha, and Chyhyryn. The project will engage 30 studio participants and more than 200 audience members, serving as a tool for social adaptation and psycho-emotional rehabilitation in the region.
Visual Arts
'Art Sign Language Glossary from ONAM'
Charitable Foundation 'Friends of the Museum' | Odesa
Researchers from the Odesa National Art Museum, together with professional sign language interpreters, will create a video course in sign language — the first systematic resource of art history terminology for people with hearing impairments. Unlike one-off sign language interpretation, the glossary will become a permanent tool for independent engagement with art. It will also serve as the basis for translating educational videos on the museum's YouTube channel.
'Vidpust. A Residency for Dialogue and Recovery'
Civil Society Organisation 'Ecology. Culture. Art' | Zhovkva / Lviv
A situational art residency in Zhovkva will provide a safe space for visual artists from frontline territories, internally displaced persons, and all those affected by the war. The residency focuses on mental recovery, reflection on wartime experience, and continuity of creative practice. Project outcomes will be presented in the form of an exhibition, a catalogue, and a documentary film.
Cultural Heritage
'Hearing and Seeing HERITAGE'
Civil Society Organisation 'Mill of Time' | Pryluky, Chernihiv Oblast
The project improves access to Pryluky Local History Museum for visitors with visual and hearing impairments. It will produce nine sign language video tours, ten tactile 3D models, two Braille guides, tactile navigation markers, and an accessible website meeting current digital accessibility standards. The project establishes a model of inclusive museum practice that can be replicated across other regions.
'Feeling the Space: The Krychevsky Museum Without Barriers'
Civil Society Organisation 'Congress of Ukrainian Ceramologists' | Opishnia, Poltava Oblast
The project introduces comprehensive barrier-free solutions at the Museum of the Krychevsky Artistic Family: tactile 3D models of Vasyl Krychevsky's architectural works with Braille captions, floor plan diagrams for navigation, QR codes linking to audio descriptions of artworks, and a platform lift for visitors with reduced mobility. A dedicated strand will offer workshops in repeat-pattern ornament for veterans, internally displaced persons, and children of fallen soldiers, as a practice supporting mental health.
Audiovisual Arts
'Voice Off: Audio Description for Iconic Films and a Unified Ukrainian Audio Description Catalogue'
Charitable Foundation 'Foundation 03:00'
The project gives people with visual impairments convenient and independent access to cinema in Ukrainian. An open online catalogue will be created, bringing together more than 500 films with audio description and links to platforms for their legal viewing. The team will additionally develop audio descriptions for more than 40 iconic Ukrainian and international films, and will host two inclusive film screenings.
The full assessment results are available on the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation website (in Ukrainian).