Meeting 2 Feb 22
Immigrating garden meeting see https://pad.constantvzw.org/p/decolonialbotany



British Council: International Collaboration Grants 2021 deadline: 4 November 2021, 23:59hrs GMT

Key facts:
    * Documenta 11 - 17 July 2022 
    * Residency in Hanoi Á space in October 2022
    max budget £75,000
    * Regular online meetings from March 2022 - March 2023 
    * Digital meeting (peer-led workshop, research sharing - Thea's role as a curator and producer in critical and practical engagement) 
 
Budget (Helen)
https://cryptpad.fr/sheet/#/3/sheet/edit/ecf0c3bfedaba9d692be288a925ad0c2/

The Grant Agreement:
The British Council’s contractual approach in respect of the grant is set out here: Terms and Conditions of the Grant Agreement (“Grant  Agreement”).
By submitting a response to this call for applications, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of these guidelines and the Grant Agreement without further negotiation or amendment.
In the event that you have any concerns or queries in relation to the Grant Agreement, you should submit a clarification request to UK_ Collaboration (UK) CollabGrants@BritishCouncil.org in accordance with the provisions of this call for applications by the application deadline. The British Council reserves the right not to make any changes to the Grant Agreement.
The British Council is under no obligation to consider any clarifications / amendments to the Grant Agreement requested following the application deadline.
For non-technical questions please email CollabGrants@britishcouncil.org. Please note we are expecting a high volume of enquiries to this mailbox and staff will endeavour to respond within three working days.


International Collaboration Grants application privacy statement

British Council would like to use the information you have provided to us (specifically, your telephone and email contact details) to communicate with you about your application for an International Collaboration Grant, and to share information about events associated with the delivery of this programme, such as any mandatory training workshops or networking events . We will share details of any responses you provide with selected external Jurors, who will be arts specialists, all of whom will have agreed to relevant ‘Conflict of Interest’ rules. We will also share details of any responses you provide with external partners for the purpose of evaluation.


Criteria
Your application will be assessed in relation to the following areas:
Activity and innovation - 40%
Is the project proposal of a high artistic/creative quality and innovative in its approach? We will look for:
Partnership and positive contribution, legacy - 30%
Is the project proposal mutually and equally benefitting both UK and international applicants? Is the project proposal well planned and resourced and does it demonstrate shared use of the budget between the UK and international applicants?
Diversity, Inclusion, Sustainability - 30%
Does the project proposal address equality, diversity, inclusion, or environmental sustainability?


SECTION A: You and Your Partners
We ask you to identify two lead partners, one in the UK and one in another eligible country. Please note one of the partner organisations must be based in the UK and with a UK bank account. The contract must be signed by the UK organisation as funding can only be distributed to a UK bank account.

PARTNER 1 (You)

A1. Full name* 
A2. Job role*
A3. Organisation name* METAL 
A4. Organisation type*
A6. How many people work in your organisation?*
A7. Location* UK
A9. Full address*
A10. Email address*
A11. Mobile Number*
A12. Website*
A13. About your organisation* Limit: 500 words
A14. Have you previously received grants for projects within your organisation? *
A16. Contact's gender*
A18. Please indicate your preferred pronoun (for example: he/him, she/her, they/them).*


PARTNER 2 A Space (MAMI, please check 'tbc' parts)

A19. Full name*: Tuan Mami(Nguyen Anh Tuan) 
A20. Job role*: Director 
A21. Organisation name*: Á Space
A22. Organisation type* Non-Profit and Artist-Artist Run Space

Please check our FAQs for eligibility of organisations for this fund. Please note that individuals are not eligible to apply.

A24. How many people work in your organisation?* : 6 people (1 director, 2 co-directors, assosicates)

A25. Location* non-UK

A27. Full address*
Country Vietnam 

Á Space, Lane 59, Ngô Gia Tự, Long Biên, Hanoi, Vietnam 

City
Hanoi 

Zip or Postal Code :10000

A28. Email address* contact@aea.space

A29. Mobile Number* +84 (0)938148681

A30. Website*
http://aea.space/en

A31. About your organisation*
Limit: 500 words

Á Space is a non-profit, experimental art space based in Hanoi. Started in May 2018, its mission is to support and develop the artistic practices of young and emerging artists, across all media and disciplines. We are strongly committed to developing the contemporary arts community in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and forming bridges between the local and international arts scenes. In addition to being a physical exhibition space, Á Space also hosts workshops, artist talks, film screenings, open studios, and artist-in-residency for international artists and curators.

Á space is dedicated to foster a platform for young and emerging artists providing artist residency program, open studio exhibition, public artist talk and artist and curator networks. In 2021 we have been running a program called 'Animal Marathon', a year-long programme which commissions and promotes emerging Vietnamese artists. This is the continuation of artists development programme'Solo Marathon' that supported six artists each year between 2019-2020. 
  
In terms of international networking, the Eastern European artist Lazar Lyutakov was invietd to Á Space in 2019 to share his practice with the Vietnamese artists. Lazar Lyutakov developed his new works for the Venice Biennenale in the same year, inspired by Vietnamese material culture. 


A32. Have you previously received grants for projects within your organisation? *
No

A34. Contact's gender* Select...: male

A36. Please indicate your preferred pronoun (for example: he/him, she/her, they/them).*: they/them

A37. Do you have other partners involved in this project?*
No Yes (Nha San Collective) - Nha San Collective letter added as supporting doc instead of listed as partner 3

A39. Have you already worked or collaborated on a project with the British Council before, as a grantee, presenter, guest, or project partner? *
No 

A41. What size of Grant are you applying for?*
Large: £20,001 - 75,000

Confirming Letter (google doc) + additional support letter from Nhà Sàn Collective 

SECTION B: Your Projects
Please note one of the partner organisations must be based in the UK and with a UK bank account. The contract must be signed by the UK organisation as funding can only be distributed to a UK bank account.

B1. Please tell us about your project and what you hope to achieve by doing it. *

Limit: 500 words

Please keep your response to no more than 500 words. For video submissions (by pasting your private link onto the text field), please keep the length to no more than 5 minutes.

The Old Waterworks in the UK and Á Space in Vietnam are partnering to support a specific group of researchers/artists - Decolonising Botany. Decolonising Botany consists of seven emerging artists whose research and practices challenge and complicate the colonial system of knowledge production around nature science, ecology and migration. This year, Decolonial Botany made their impressive launch "Rewilding Knowledge - Cosmopolitics, Stone Womxn, Bluecarbon and Illegal Seeds" as part of the Liverpool Biennial 2021 public programme. 
 
As seven members of the Decolonising Botany group are geographically sporadic between Europe and Southeast Asia, the partnership between The Old Waterworks and Á Space makes much sense in supporting these artists. This grant will help us finance their year-long journey of practices development and public showcase. The following is the details of the project:
 
Commissioning 
The Old Waterworks and Á Space will commission seven artists for their research and practice development. The artists will share the progress via monthly digital meetings. Supporting their year-long track, The Old Waterworks and Á Space will also utilise these meetings to thread different practices into the curated programme. 
 
Documenta 2022 - First in-person gathering/collaboration
The Old Waterworks will organise the group's first in-person gathering and collaboration as part of Kassel Documenta 2022. Tuan Mami, director/curator of Á Space, and artist member of Nha San Collective, will present The Garden Project that narrates lived experiences of the Vietnamese diaspora in Europe. The Decolonising Botany group will deliver a series of performative presentations as an extension of his project. The grant will support the group's first physical gathering at Kassel Documenta; it is the perfect opportunity for the group to share their works with a wide audience with global exposure. The grant will cover the expenses of this trip.

Artists Residency in Hanoi
Á Space will invite the commissioned artists to the residency in Hanoi, Vietnam. This residency period will be a critical juncture for the artists to reflect their practices and public sharing, more within the Southeast Asian post/neo-colonial context. And an opportunity to discuss the next phase of the group, including the publication and legacy projects beyond Vietnam. 
  
Publication & UK/international showcase
This publication will include the reflective text and images from the research that shape Documenta showcases. We envision this to accommodate a curatorial statement and seven chapters constructed by artists. As all artists have a strong research background and research-informed art practice, this publication can deliver rich context and research findings of their works. We will create a digital format for wide circulation, overcoming geographical barriers. 


B2. What is your timeline? Please include your key milestones. Write here or upload a document on the next field.. *

TIMELINE: March 2022 - March 2023 
Artist commissions - Throughout the duration of the project, the Decolonising Botany artists will dedicate time to researching and developing their strands of research within the wider Decolonising Botany framework. This includes monthly online workshop sessions, performance presentations at documenta 15, a residency at Á Space and developing and a publication.

March - July 2022 (March 22, April 19, June 21)
Decolonising Botany preparation for Documenta
Decolonising Botany Artists begin monthly peer-led online meetings and workshops alongside a curator and producer from TOW, to develop a framework, and critical and practical engagements towards the performances, residency and publication. Alongside these meetings, the artists will continue to develop their own research paths and practices.

11 - 17 July, 2022
MILESTONE 1 : Kassel, Germany - meeting and performance presentations (documenta 15, as part of Tuan Mami's Garden Project) 
The Decolonising Botany group will travel to Kassel on 11 July 2022, marking the first in-person meeting of the group. They will deliver several performance interventions throughout the week, as part of Tuan Mami's installation performance Garden Project at documenta 15. Exact dates for performances TBC. 
The group will also use the week in Kassel for their own workshops and collaborations, and deliver interim progress reports. 

1-30 October, 2022
MILESTONE 2 : Residency at Á Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
8-9 October - Workshop 1
22-23 October - Workshop 2
Decolonising Botany members will travel to Hanoi and spend 4 weeks in residency at Á Space. During this time, the members will build upon their collaborative working practices in relation to Vietnam's specific modes of coloniality within botanical science, migration and climate. The collective will facilitate two weekend-long public workshops/sharing sessions with local communities and Vietnamese artists / creative practitioners. In the first workshop, DB will present their work, then dedicate the time to creative co-mentoring and co-learning practices in exchange with Á Space's artist communities, offering participants a platform to collaborate with the project. 

November 2022 - January 2023
Preparation towards Decolonising Botany publication, publication layout and design.
Decolonising Botany will work with curators from TOW to finalise and collate individual contributions to the publication, including the design/build of a digital publication. TOW will facilitate the layout and design of the print publication.

January - March 2023
MILESTONE 3 : Publication sent for printing and distribution

March 2023
MILESTONE 4: Publication launch event, online
An online launch event will be held in collaboration with TOW, with guests and discussants involved in the project. The event will reflect on Decolonising Botany's research practices and ongoing work building towards Estuary 2024. 


Limit: 500 words

Ideally the project should finish 31 March 2023, however we may consider extensions on a case by case basis.

B3. Timeline upload


B4. Please identify which artform/s describe your project. *
Visual Arts

We know that many projects will involve multiple artforms but please indicate if there is one art form which features more strongly in your proposal to ensure it is assessed by the appropriate specialists.

B5. Tell us how individual artists will benefit from your project *

Limit: 100 words

This grant will immensely benefit the artists by supporting all their potential opportunities of international networking and foremostly physical gatherings. As the Decolonising Botany group is formed of strong practices and research, there has been a good amount of interest in this development. However, the tangible resource to support their research and artistic journeys and collaborative interactions has been one of the primary issues. This grant will help them take off to the next level and leverage them for planning long-term engagement.    

For video submissions, paste the link into the text field. Please ensure the video is no more than two minutes.’

B6. Tell us how your project provides mutual benefit to the countries involved. You may refer to economic and social benefits where relevant.*
Limit: 100 words

The Decolonising Botany residency at Á Space (Hanoi, Vietnam) would allow the group to develop their work collectively and in collaboration/sharing workshops with local creative practitioners, around the questions of coloniality, politics of nature and migration in relation to Vietnamese and Southeast Asian contexts. It provides a unique platform for exploring politically challenging subjects still under-addressed in both Vietnam and the UK, and a crucial resource - in terms of funding, intellectual/creative exchange and personnel (artists, researchers, curators) - for Vietnamese arts communities. The residency and workshops would feedback into the publication with The Old Waterworks, widening the scope of discussions around decolonisation and nature in the UK by engaging critical voices and practices from artists in Southeast Asia. 

For video submissions by pasting video link on the text field, please keep the length to no more than 2 minutes.


B7. What is new about your project?*
Limit: 100 words

Decolonising Botany is part of the burgeoning field of interdisciplinary arts practice and interdependent research rethinking the fundamental structures of Western knowledge in response to the challenges of climate change, loss of species diversity, racism, and economic inequity. It is part of a wave of new art practices integrating queer, feminist and anti-racist thought, moving beyond critiques to envision new practices. It has been thoughtfully curated and structured as a decolonising practice. This project tests new modes of relating, collaboration and partial collaboration with evolving methodologies that respond to the colonial legacies of what we understand as the Anthropocene.

We are looking for new and innovative projects – this includes projects that demonstrate new forms or content; that work with a new partner, or in a new country; or that approach audiences in a new way, or  use technology (not necessarily new) to make art or cultural connections. 
For video submissions by pasting video link on the text field, please keep the length to no more than 2 minutes.

B8. Tell us why you and your partner organisations have chosen to work together and the role/contributions of each partner.*
Limit: 100 words

The idea of this partnership has started from Tuan Mami's invitation of Decolonising Botany group to his garden project in Documenta 2022. This invitation has transformed into the possibility of setting up a year-long collaboration structure between UK-based artists and Southeast Asian artists. Being aligned with the subjects of interests in this group - the ecological system, de/colonial knowledge production and earth-emergent pedagogies – and the mutual interest in holding up this group and their international collaboration, TOW will curate and administer the trip to Documenta 2022 and publication and Á Space will facilitate a month-long residency in Hanoi. 


For video submissions by pasting video link on the text field, please keep the length to no more than 2 minutes.

B9. Please attach letters from each partner that confirm their intention to collaborate on this project*


B10. Have you worked as partners before?*

This is our first joint project. (x)

We have delivered projects together in the past.


B11. How does your proposal address equality, diversity, inclusion, or environmental sustainability? *
Limit: 200 words









B12. ‘We ask all applicants to embed accessibility into their projects. Please explain what your project will do to address this.’*
- captioning, postproduction for online presentations
- translation in Vietnam 
- volunteers to faciliate vietnamese 
- audio description for visual material in outcomes

Limit: 100 words

For video submissions by pasting video link on the text field, please keep the length to no more than 2 minutes.


Tell us about your estimated number of audiences.

B13. Target number for Face to Face audience in the UK*

B14. Target number Face to Face audience other country/ies or territory/ies’*

B15. Target number Digital audience *

B16. Legacy plans: How do you plan the project and partnership to develop in the future? *
This grant will support foundational work between the partners to support future ambitions and plans. From March 2023 onwards the partners plan to bring the critical research and artistic experimentation gathered from the work at Documenta and Á Space to Southend in Essex. An in-person residency for all seven artists jointly hosted by TOW and Metal in Southend will utilise the Chalkwell Hall venue to enable the Decolonising Botany group to share food, knowledge, experience, ideas with local UK partners and networks to strengthen and extend the cultural network artist-to-artist. 
 
This residency phase will inform a new commissioned work by Decolonising Botany to be presented at Estuary 2024, the third edition of the large-scale curated festival of visual art, literature, performance, film & discussion in partnership with TOW and Metal Southend, where it will form part of an ambitious programme of artworks and events that explore and respond to powerful themes resonant to the estuary.
 
The Decolonising Botany publication and online sharing event in March 2023 will form the catalyst for this next phase of work leading to Estuary 2024 focussing on Thames Estuary themes around water, seascape, migration and the ecological system.

Limit: 200 words

B17. How will you evaluate the success of your project?*
The partners will collaborate to ensure that the project is evaluated effectively throughout the process from inception, addressing the following critical success areas:

AIM 1: Artistic impact
- Has the project delivered high quality activities including presentations at Documenta and the Á Space residency?

AIM 2: Social and economic impact
- Has the project created opportunities for social and economic development for Á Space in Hanoi, Vietnam (the ODA Country)?
- What are the legacy opportunities that have been realised to support Decolonising Botany beyond the grant period?

AIM 3: Diversity, inclusion, sustainability impact
- Has the project created opportunities for diverse communities to explore themes?
- Has the project been sustainable in its delivery?
- Has the project been accessible for the diverse team, participants and audiences and how has that been achieved?

Regular online meetings will be used to track how the project is progressing with input from all the partners and artists. External impact will be measured e.g. audience numbers and feedback collected at Documenta, numbers of local participants and their feedback of the experience at Á Space, numbers and feedback from online event participants and social media engagement including individual artists and Decolonising Botany project as a whole.
Limit: 200 words

For video submissions by pasting video link on the text field, please keep the length to no more than 2 minutes.

B18. Are you working with children (under 18), or with vulnerable adults? (A vulnerable adult is someone who is unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation). If Yes, please write below how you will be working with them.*

Limit: 100 words

Write No if not working with children and vulnerable adults. Please note: All selected projects will undergo basic British Council Safeguarding training whether working with at risk populations or not.


Section C: Budget
Access
If your organisation has access requirements in delivering this project, you will be able to request additional funds beyond the core grant in the budget section of this form.
In addition, all projects should include access facilitation for audiences in their core project budget.

C1. How much are you requesting from the International Collaboration Grants?*
£ GBP

Response will be in GBP (£). The minimum budget is £5,000 and the maximum budget is £75,000. As this is a grant the amount detailed in the grant agreement is inclusive of any taxes, if applicable.

C2. You complete the budget template below. Or you can attach your own budget in a table or spreadsheet format in C3.

Working on budget here:
https://cryptpad.fr/sheet/#/2/sheet/edit/20aHg0Z6hTCDYuDwUCqUSDeC/

Contingency @ 10%


Please ensure your budget clearly shows:
The grants can cover direct project costs including:
 New staff positions to deliver the project Additional hours for existing staff to deliver the project International bank transfer fees within budget lines. Training costs Professional fees Translation and interpreter fees Equipment and materials Activities relating to learning, advocacy and community engagement Evaluation Promotion Extra costs for your organisation, such as new online subscriptions, new computers or extra rent First-party insurance costs Up to 25% of the budget can go towards overhead costs.
We believe artists should be paid fairly and this should be reflected in the budget in relation to any artist costs.

C3. Budget file upload

C4. Do you wish to apply for any additional access funds for your organisation? If so, provide the amount and rationale below. *


Write No if not needed. 
Please note C4 relates to personal access costs for the individuals involved in the project planning, design and delivery. All other access costs must be included within the main application budget. These costs are not guaranteed, although we will do everything we can to support your needs.


• The British Council is subject to the requirements of the UK Freedom of Information Act, (“FOIA”). Please indicate whether FOIA also applies to your organisation, so that we can reflect this in the Grant Agreement should you be successful in your application.*

Yes

No

All partners will carry out their role/part as described in the project application. Any change in the partnership and/or budget allocation among partners after selection needs to have the prior approval of the British Council.*


The contract will be signed by the UK partner with the British Council and that the UK partner will report to the British Council on behalf of all partners.*


Once you are notified that your application is successful you will be required to:
- Note that the contracting authority is the British Council which includes any subsidiary companies and other organisations that control or are controlled by the British Council from time to time (see: www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/structure/status). The contract will be signed by the UK partner with the British Council and that the UK partner will report to the British Council on behalf of all partners. 
- complete and return selected information in order for British Council to undertake due diligence, financial checks, and prepare contractual paperwork. Any grant award is conditional on these checks and on paperwork being returned by the communicated deadline.
- attend any mandatory training we offer, for example in safeguarding and monitoring and evaluation
- complete an evaluation report on your project within an agreed timeframe
- acknowledge British Council support with agreed credit.
If you are successful in your application, please note:
- you will also be invited to join optional drop in sessions to build connections, share practice and updates.