The investment comes as recent Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) figures showed performing arts exports are the fastest growing across all creative industries in the UK.

Re:Imagine India is run in partnership with ACE and the British Council and the programme helps English artists work with their counterparts in India to exchange ideas, develop partnerships abroad, and export their work. Projects will peak in 2017 to mark the 70th anniversary of Indian independence.

Graham Sheffield, Director Arts British Council said Re:Imagine presents a huge opportunity for British arts organisations to develop new international audiences and present the UK as a vibrant hub of contemporary culture. “With a cultural market of more than 64 million people in urban India, there is a great deal that UK and Indian artists and organisations can learn from each other, and I look forward to seeing both our sectors stronger as a result of these collaborations,” he said.

Graeae’s production of Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man will be part of a training programme with young deaf and disabled artists in India

This first round of funding will enable the development of projects such as New Art Exchange’s consortium of studios across the Midlands to explore connections between Indian and UK artists and communities.

Graeae’s acclaimed production of Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man (pictured) will be the creative catalyst for a training programme for young deaf and disabled artists in India, while the Royal Court will work with Indian Ensemble Theatre on the development of a production and tour of a new play set in Tibet.

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The initial 22 Successful Applicants

Dance
Prodigal Theatre Company -South East – £15,000
2Faced Dance Company Limited – Midlands – £26,180
Independent Dance – London – £15,000

Visual Arts
AV Festival – North – £23,989
Showroom Gallery Ltd – London – £15,000
Photoworks – South East – £27,000
Manchester City Galleries – North – £18,000

Theatre
Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah – North – £18,254
Graeae Theatre Company – London – £29,993
Leicester Theatre Trust Limited – Midlands – £25,000
English Stage Company Ltd – London – £29,543

Arts
University of Leicester – Midlands – £25,700
Artcore Combined – Arts Midlands – £30,000
Freedom Studios – North – £28,150

Combined Arts
The New Art Exchange Ltd – Midlands – £29,900
Asian Arts Agency – South West – £25,000
Kinetika Art Links International Ltd – South East – £20,000
DaDa – Disability & Deaf Arts – North – £26,000

Literature
Writers’ Centre Norwich South East £26,900

Music
Baluji Music Foundation – London – £19,189
Milap Festival Trust – North – £30,000
Philharmonia Orchestra – London – £30,000