The British Council in Egypt has announced the launch of its 'Grants to Artists' fund for 2013.

Designed to support up-and-coming local artists, the grant (a variable sum of money depending on the nature of proposed projects, with a maximum of £2,000) is offered to promising Egyptian artists engaged in music, film, theatre, literature, dance, visual arts or design activities.

This year's grant will be awarded to project ideas that seek to engage "communities [in Egypt] that don't have a tradition of engaging with arts and cultural activity."

While sifting through applications, the committee will look at how proposed projects engage with the community, how they use the arts to deliver benefits to that community, whether they are clearly explained, and whether they have a detailed budget.

Grantees for 2011/12 included Sondos Shabayek, director of the 'Tahrir Monologues,' a theatre performance of stories from the 2011 revolution, and co-director of the 'Bussy Monologues,' a performance of snapshots from the lives of Egyptian women; contemporary visual artist Marwa Adel; and music band Massar Egbari's Ayman Massoud; among several others.

The deadline for submitting applications is 24 May.

Additional information about the application process is available here.