Open Call for the 2027 Cultural SeasonCYPRUS 2027 – THE TRACES WE CARRY

Routes • Traces • Horizons

Every journey leaves a trace: a story, a memory, a language, an object or a sense of belonging carried from one place to another.

The Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in the United Kingdom is pleased to announce its Open Call for complementary events and creative projects for its 2027 Cultural Season, The Traces We Carry.

The season will explore the visible and invisible connections between Cyprus, the United Kingdom and the wider world. It will consider what we inherit, what we carry with us and how artists transform these experiences into new forms of expression.

The programme will develop through three interconnected strands:

Routes

Journeys, migration, diaspora, displacement, return, cultural exchange and our changing relationship with home and belonging.

Traces

Personal and collective memory, archaeology, heritage, language, archives, family histories and the ways in which the past continues to live within the present.

Horizons

New artistic voices, contemporary interpretations of Cypriot identity, inclusion, sustainability, digital practices, experimentation and creative encounters between Cyprus and the United Kingdom.

Who can apply?

We welcome proposals from artists, performers, writers, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, curators, educators, researchers, cultural practitioners, organisations and collaborative groups.

Proposals may include theatre, music, dance, literature, poetry, film, visual and digital arts, performance, contemporary design, educational activities and interdisciplinary work.

We are particularly interested in focused, imaginative and achievable projects that:

• respond meaningfully to one or more of the season’s strands;

• create genuine encounters with audiences and communities;

• introduce contemporary Cypriot creativity to new audiences;

• encourage collaboration between Cyprus and the United Kingdom;

• engage young people, students or Cypriot diaspora schools;

• or help us continue taking Cypriot culture to communities beyond London.

All proposed actions must take place in the United Kingdom during 2027 and must have a clear and meaningful connection with Cyprus, its people, heritage, experiences or contemporary cultural life.

How to express your interest

Before submitting an application, interested applicants must contact the Cultural Section to arrange a short online conversation.

Please email: CulturalCyHCL@mfa.gov.cy

This initial meeting will give us the opportunity to hear about your idea, discuss its connection with the season and share practical guidance about the application process.

Following the conversation, applicants wishing to proceed will receive the full guidelines and official application form. The preliminary meeting offers guidance only and does not guarantee selection, inclusion in the programme or financial support.

Application deadline

25 September 2026

As the application period is short, we encourage everyone interested to contact us as soon as possible to arrange their initial conversation.

What traces do we carry? Which stories remain with us? What do we leave behind—and what new horizons might we create together?

We look forward to hearing your ideas and discovering where they may lead us.