The art of cultural relations

For almost 75 years the British Council has sought to harness the ability of Britain’s cultural and creative practice to build engagement and trust between people worldwide. Across our 110-country network we are known for bringing great British talent to new audiences, supporting innovative artistic collaborations, promoting the values of our open society, but, most of all, allowing the arts to speak for themselves. We believe that the arts, as a unique barometer of individual thought and feeling, are an unparalleled way to communicate with people across international boundaries. We believe that in a world of Web 2.0 and on-demand downloads we also need high-quality arts activities that challenge, celebrate and communicate at intellectual and emotional levels.

A few years ago, we sent an exhibition called ‘Common Ground’ to Saudi Arabia. We commissioned young UK-based photographers to capture aspects of Muslim life in modern Britain – from young people at school, life in our mosques and images of our religious buildings, to a series of colour landscapes seeking to capture how Britain might appear to asylum seekers and refugees. In Saudi Arabia, Common Ground was one of the first contemporary art exhibitions. It was phenomenally well received. Its frankness – its uncensored truthfulness – was what impressed and connected with people.

This freedom of expression gives artists the space to explore different viewpoints and perspectives, and is a fundamental value of our society. That’s why we helped the National Theatre of Scotland to take their production of ‘Black Watch’ to America, where it attracted critical acclaim. The award-winning play tackles the impact of war on the individual soldier and a nation’s character. Black Watch provided an opportunity to engage in cultural debate about the nature of war and its effects on people. In doing so it projected not just another side of Britain but a more nuanced, richer view of our society.

In all of this, the arts are a powerful ambassador for Britain’s creativity. The choice of Steve McQueen as the British representative at next year’s Venice International Biennale of Art celebrates the diversity of modern creative Britain. Steve’s work is investigative, challenging and searching. As the official war artist in Iraq, he produced a series of postage stamps showing soldiers who had fallen in battle. His work asked the audience to question assumptions about the relationship between the individual and the state. We believe that the arts provide a unique space for conversations like these to take place.

In addition, we work to increase the flow of talent and ideas into the UK. This year, in partnership with the London Book Fair, we identified the Arab world as the official guest market. Hundreds of writers and publishers attended our programmes, including Hisham Matar (the 2006 Booker Prize nominee for his debut novel about Libya, ‘In the Country of Men’) and Alaa Al-Aswany, author of ‘The Yacoubian Building’. The focus on the Arab world was an essential platform to show the creative side of this important region.
In doing so we foster connections and engagement that can lead to future creative collaboration and trust in the UK.

In its day-to-day work the British Council supports British talent, and in doing so builds effective cultural relations for the long term. As our recent consultation with the arts sector shows, our work is valued across the UK and around the world. The sector told us that developing international links and promoting the best of contemporary Britain must remain a core part of our cultural relations work – and we agree. Our response is outlined in our action plan for the arts, in which we said we would maintain our arts expertise in the UK and re-invest in our international network. We will find new ways for the sector to submit ideas to us, thus increasing our openness and transparency. Importantly, we will increase our annual arts spend to £30m by the end of next year. In doing so, we hope to play our part in supporting the opportunities for a renaissance in British art, such as Sir Brian McMaster alluded to in his report ‘Supporting Excellence in the Arts’.
The British Council has always showcased the best of the UK’s artistic and creative achievements on the international stage as one of the most effective ways to encourage engagement and trust around the world. We will continue to do so. But we need to work more closely with our artists, institutions and arts councils to ensure that the best of the UK’s art and cultural practice is accessible by as many people as possible. Only in this way will we truly harness the power of the arts to change people.