The British Council has announced £2 million in new funding over three years to support Ukrainian cultural organisations and help deliver the priorities of the UK–Ukraine Cultural Commission and the objectives of the UK–Ukraine 100 Year Partnership. 

The new funding was announced in London on 15 September during a meeting between representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, The Ukrainian Institute and the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). 

The £2 million will be initial contribution to a new fund dedicated to advancing the priorities of the UK–Ukraine Cultural Commission and the objectives of the UK–Ukraine 100 Year Partnership. The fund will directly support organisations in Ukraine. From 2027 to 2030, the funding is expected to expand joint UK–Ukraine cultural initiatives, create more opportunities for cultural organisations and professionals, and strengthen long-term links between institutions in both countries. 

The fund’s operating model and specific areas of support will be developed together with other members of the UK–Ukraine Cultural Commission — the British Coincil and the Ukrainian Institute. 

The UK–Ukraine Cultural Commission was established as part of the UK–Ukraine 100 Year Partnership as a standing forum for expert dialogue, identifying shared priorities and projects and, where appropriate, considering opportunities for joint funding. 

The cultural strand of the 100 Year Partnership aims to develop long-term links between museums, galleries, theatres, music venues and other cultural institutions in both countries through the exchange of expertise, joint projects and co-productions. Other priorities include deepening cooperation between the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute, strengthening links between the film and television sectors, and ensuring the regular presentation of Ukrainian culture in the UK and British culture in Ukraine. 

A further area of the Partnership focuses on protecting, preserving and restoring Ukraine’s cultural heritage. This includes professional and educational exchanges for specialists, efforts to counter the illicit removal and trafficking of cultural property, and work to resist the erasure of Ukrainian cultural identity. 

This work is taking place against the backdrop of the extensive losses suffered by Ukraine’s cultural sector as a result of Russia’s war of aggression. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, as of the end of August 2026, 2,138 cultural heritage sites and 2,640 cultural institutions had been damaged or destroyed. Of these, 47 cultural heritage sites and 569 cultural institutions have been completely destroyed. 

“£2 million from the British Council is an important investment in Ukrainian culture, its resilience and its future. It will create new opportunities for Ukrainian institutions and for joint UK–Ukraine cultural projects. I sincerely thank the British Council and the United Kingdom for their continued support and for a partnership that is already delivering tangible results,” said Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine – Minister of Culture of Ukraine. 

“This new £2 million in funding is part of the British Council’s long-term work to strengthen cultural ties between Ukraine and the UK. Next year marks 35 years of our work in Ukraine, and throughout that time one of our priorities has been to bring people and institutions together and create opportunities for lasting collaboration. The new fund will give us a practical means of continuing this work, supporting Ukrainian cultural organisations and professionals, and helping to deliver the priorities set by the Cultural Commission and the objectives of the UK–Ukraine 100 Year Partnership,” said Richard Garrett, incoming Country Director, British Council Ukraine. 

“This funding will help move some of the ties between Ukrainian and British cultural and educational institutions from one-off projects to long-term cooperation, as well as open space for new partnerships. Many of these ties date back to the UK-Ukraine Season of Culture 2022–2023” said Volodymyr Sheiko, director general, the Ukrainian Institute.