The National Theatre and the Rustaveli Theatre embark on a mid- to long-term partnership to facilitate cultural exchange between Georgia and the UK.

The role of the British Council shall be to act as a conduit for all funds raised for the partnership, by ensuring the relevant reporting and accounting standards are met, and to support the partnership by brokering relationships, supporting the partnership administratively and offering advice on the direction of the partnership.

The intention of the Partnership is that it should facilitate a cultural dialogue between theatre artists in Georgia and UK at a number of levels and broker mutually beneficial relations between Georgia and the UK. The Partnership, therefore, will include and represent theatre-makers who do not work with either the National or the Rustaveli Theatre directly, but who nevertheless form part of the cultural landscape. Thus the Partnership will act as a bridge, across which any Georgian or UK artist could travel.

Paul Doubleday, British Council Director in the South Caucasus, is truly excited by this unique opportunity to support links between the UK and Georgia theatre. He maintains that this is an exciting and important project from which we will see close relationships, creative collaborations and a new generation of Georgian directors brokering mutually beneficial relations with their counterparts in the UK.