International Showcase Fund

Man on stage with bright lights around him, holding a microphone in one hand and four fingers up with the other.

International Showcase Fund

Opening new opportunities for UK artists around the world

Credit: Austin Neill (Unsplash)

Here at the British Council, we’re teaming up with PRS Foundation – the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development – to support the International Showcase Fund. The fund will connect UK music creators with showcasing opportunities around the world, including festivals in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East and South East Asia and Latin America.

UK music makers will be eligible to apply for funding from the International Showcase Fund that will support them and provide an expanded portfolio of festivals, including Mutek Buenos Aires / Artlab Festival (Argentina), Feira Preta Festival (Brazil), Porto Musical (Brazil), Bahidora (Mexico), Mutek Mexico (Mexico), We The Fest (Indonesia), Monsoon Festival (Vietnam), Echoes of Earth (India), Magnetic Fields (India), AfroFuture Festival (Ghana), Santuri East Africa (Kenya), Africa Rising Music Conference (South Africa), THE MUSIC IMBIZO (South Africa) and Nyege Nyege (Uganda).

Joel Mills, Director of Music here at the British Council said: ‘we’re delighted to join PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund as a partner to expand the opportunities for music creators to perform at international festivals. In broadening the portfolio to developing markets, we hope to enable valuable business and cultural connections. We anticipate it will strengthen UK, international relationships and increase opportunities for both UK artists and the participating festivals.’

Becci Scotcher, Senior Grants and Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation said: ‘we’re incredibly excited to be announcing this new partnership with the British Council and our International Showcase Fund. We know from our recent 2019 report that showcasing overseas has a hugely positive impact on artists and the UK music industry. Through this partnership we will be able to support artists to access more eligible events to showcase their music, in more territories, create new connections and build their international careers.’

The International Showcase Fund is run by PRS Foundation in partnership with Department for Business and Trade, Arts Council England, British Underground, Musicians' Union, Creative Scotland, PPL, Wales Arts International and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

PRS Foundation has been running the International Showcase Fund since 2006 in partnership with Department for Business and Trade, Arts Council England, British Underground, Musicians’ Union and, since 2016, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales and PPL and, since 2018, Wales Arts International and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The International Showcase Fund impact report, launched in Parliament in 2016, highlighted the importance of showcasing and exporting overseas. 89% of supported artists returned with tangible business outcomes, including record publishing and touring deals. In the most recent report, in 2019, the International Showcase Fund demonstrated 91% of grantees reported clear business outcomes and every £1 of total International Showcase Fund investment generated an additional £6.20 in revenues, meaning £5.3m has been generated for the music industry and UK economy.