GRAIN Projects and Pathshala Institute, Open Call
British Council 2025/26 Connections Through Culture

Is this opportunity right for me?
You should be able to answer ‘YES’ to all the prompts below;

︎ My artistic practice is relevant and is photographic, and I can provide evidence of my professional and engaged approach 
︎ I am confident I can invest sufficient time to meet the expectations of this project
︎ I am over 18 and not in full time education
︎ I am able to travel on the dates indicated
︎ I am based in the UK/ I am based in Bangladesh

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion   
We are committed to addressing equality, diversity and inclusion across all our work and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Why do we collect Equal Opportunities Monitoring data?
We are committed to equal opportunities, with the aim of ensuring that everyone engaging in our programme as an audience member, an artist, or those joining us for employment, receives fair treatment and we positively encourage applications from everybody regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership and caring status.

About GRAIN Projects
GRAIN Projects is an arts organisation based in the Midlands that specialises in contemporary photography and provides a hub and network for practitioners and participants to engage with photographic projects.   GRAIN manages and produces a broad range of regionally, nationally and internationally significant projects, works collaboratively with communities, individuals and artists utilising photography to create positive change and ensuring that people from every walk of life can express themselves and create.  GRAIN
engage with communities across the Midlands to make work of the highest quality and ambition and to exhibit, publish and disseminate this work.  The communities they work with are diverse and often underrepresented.  Their projects work with communities and
individuals to express their own identity, to re-imagine and to develop new opportunities.

GRAIN’s work is guided by their core values:  The arts have the capacity to change and enrich everyone’s life and how we see and act in the world.  Artists should be supported to experiment and innovate outside conventional arts spaces and in collaboration wit communities.  We seek to improve the skills, opportunities and conditions for practitioner and to facilitate new ambitious opportunities for all.

About Pathshala Institute
In today’s information-driven world, the role of a teacher extends far beyond simplydelivering knowledge. They foster critical thinking, encourage inquiry, and provide studentswith the tools necessary for self-learning. The Pathshala model exemplifies this approach,drawing from the Asian tradition of a learning space that is not confined by walls, but ratherencourages exploration and questioning. This model emphasizes the importance ofcollaborative learning, where students at various levels can work together and learn fromvisiting faculty. In the rapidly evolving media landscape, traditional training often fails to meetthe demands of the twenty-first century. Many photography schools still rely on outdatedmethods that do not address the needs of modern audiences, who communicate through adiverse visual language that includes photography, emoticons, and gifs. Pathshala wasestablished in 1998 to address these gaps, shifting the focus to photojournalism and criticalthinking. By blending conceptual and classical visual styles, Pathshala prepares students notjust as technicians, but as interpreters of culture, equipped to engage with contemporaryaudiences and the dynamic world of visual storytelling. Pathshala is a centre of photographicexcellence with students attending from a wide range of backgrounds. Pathshala co-produceChorbi Mela, International Festival of Photography, Bangladesh.

GRAIN Projects
GRAIN Projects is a UK based arts organisation, specialising in socially engaged and collaborative photography. We commission, facilitate and deliver ambitious, engaging and high quality photography projects, commissions, exhibitions, events and publications based on significant themes and issues that affect our world and society. GRAIN is a platform for contemporary photographers and supports their work and development through a range of programmes. We connect with communities in the U.K and internationally to make work that is collaborative and has social impact. GRAIN works to create positive change. Our activities enable people to develop skills and to influence change. We increase participation through high quality projects that explore identities, histories, stories and place and in our work we create a space of care, consideration and community. We believe we have a responsibility to interrogate our collective history and to seek the change necessary to address inequalities. Photography is exceptionally placed to do this. GRAIN is one of the leading exponents of photography in the UK, working with many museums, galleries, festivals and universities. GRAIN celebrates its ten-year anniversary in 2025. GRAIN is a unique and collaborative arts organisation, supported by Arts Council England and Birmingham City Universityis an arts organisation dedicated to commissioning, facilitating and delivering ambitious, engaging and high quality photography projects, commissions, events and exhibitions.  A are a platform for contemporary photography and a hub and network for practitioners, they provide opportunities for artists and audiences and engage with communities here and internationally. Their programme is collaborative and provides new ways to engage with photography for everyone.  www.grainphotographyhub.co.uk

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. They do this through their work in arts and culture, education and the English language. They work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 The British Council reached 650 million people. www.britishcouncil.org.bd

The Open Call
We seek to consider a broad range of proposals for this opportunity under the theme of Resistance and Re-imagine, focusing on diversity, inclusion, and/or climate change. We are interested in proposals that are a reflection of our current times, innovative, unique and tha consider these themes.

Who is the opportunity for?
We are looking for one UK based and one Bangladesh based photographer or artist (where photography is part of their practice).

What will the selected artist receive? 
︎ Fee  – £2,550 GBP / 409,101.60 BDT, including materials, flight costs, Visa costs and VAT if applicable.
︎ Accommodation for the trip to the UK / Bangladesh covered 
︎ A separate budget available for outcomes
︎ Mentoring and support with professional development.  
︎ Practical logistics and organisational support will be provided by GRAIN Projects and Pathshala Institute

Key dates and timeline
︎ Open call deadline: 23rd December 2025
︎ Selected photographers / artists confirmed by 12th January 2026
︎ UK photographer / artist to visit Bangladesh April/May 2026
︎ Bangladesh photographer / artist to visit UK May 2026
︎ Public outcomes and end of the project September 2026

How to apply, UK based photographers / artists
︎ Applications should be submitted to GRAIN Projects applications@grainphotographyhub.co.uk Please put OPEN CALL Application in the subject. The application should be submitted as one PDF document.
︎ Please describe your Proposal including your ideas, the themes you wish to explore, and the people and/or place concerned.   Please explain what interests you about this project and how you feel your experience is relevant.  (No more than 2 sides of A4)
︎ Please submit a C.V, including website and social media links.
︎ Submit up to 15 images.
︎ Please complete the Equal Opportunities Form and attach to your application. The form can be downloaded here.

How to apply, Bangladesh based photographers / artists
︎ Applications should be submitted to Pathshala Institute
communication@pathshalainstitute.edu.bd . Please put OPEN CALL Application in th subject. The application should be submitted as one PDF document.
︎ Please describe your Proposal including your ideas, the themes you wish to explore, and the people and/or place concerned. Please explain what interests you about this project and how you feel your experience is relevant.  (No more than 2 sides of A4)
︎ Please submit a C.V, including website and social media links.
︎ Submit up to 15 images.
︎ Please complete the Equal Opportunities Form and attach to your application. The form can be downloaded here.

Selection process
The Open Call will have a jury involving partners representing GRAIN Projects and Pathshala Institute.


Get in touch
If you have any questions please read the frequently asked questions below or contact hello@grainphotographyhub.co.uk