Arts
Our global arts team works with the best of British creative talent to develop innovative, high-quality events and collaborations that link thousands of artists and cultural institutions around the world, drawing them into a closer relationship with the UK.
Current activities
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Paula Rego curates new exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery
Artist Paula Rego has delved deep into the British Council Collection to curate a new exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery. Titled Thresholds, the display includes over 50 works that span the 20th century, focussing on prints, drawings and photographs.
Beginning with the work of Walter Sickert, the exhibition includes rarely seen early photographs by Cecil Beaton, scurrilous watercolours by Edward Burra, Lucian Freud's etchings of young girls, alongside nudes by Gwen John, Madame Yevonde and Wyndham Lewis.
Image left: Edward Burra - The Green Fig (1930). © Estate of the Artist c/o Lefevre Fine Art Ltd, London.
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'I shake you by the hand, comrade Bacon': British Art Abroad
Concentrating on the British Council's history of showing British art abroad during the most volatile social and political climates of the last two centuries, I shake you by the hand, comrade Bacon: British Art Abroad, draws archival material together with original works of art. The exhibition runs at the Whitechapel Gallery until 14 March and includes works by Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Henry Moore and Richard Wilson.
Image left: Mother and Child on a Sofa, Henry Moore (1946). © The Henry Moore Foundation.
Noticeboard
British Pavilion Artistic Director for Venice Biennale 2010 announced
muf architecture/art Llp have been appointed as Artistic Directors of the British Pavilion for the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale. Their proposal 'Two Way Traffic' aims to make connections and enable knowledge exchange between Venice and Britain.
The winner of 'The Fifth Curator' is...
Theodor Ringborg, 26, from Stockholm, Sweden, is the winner of 'The Fifth Curator' competition, and will go on to curate an exhibition for the Whitechapel Gallery from 26 March-30 May 2010.
Rock, Paper, Scissors in Armenia
This exhibition of prints drawn from the British Council Collection features the work of artists more typically associated with sculpture. Includes prints by Henry Moore, Eduardo Paolozzi, Anish Kapoor, Liam Gillick and Anya Gallacio.
Highlights
Arts Council England and British Council sign MOU
On 10 December 2009 a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the British Council and Arts Council England, defining areas in which the two can work together to help artists build links internationally.
Walberberg 2010
The largest and longest running annual Literature seminar held overseas, Walberberg focused on 'Creativity, Culture and Conscience in Today’s Europe’ this year, and featured an exciting lineup of authors.
Lit Sutra kicks off
Building on the success of the British Council’s festival of Indian writing at the London Book Fair 2009, the Lit Sutra programme aims to encourage cultural relations through reading and writing.
