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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Deller and Kane present artists' views of Britain
MY YARD is the latest in a series of British Council Collection exhibitions at the newly restored Whitechapel Gallery. Curated by the artists Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, the exhibition is a celebration of British people and places.
The selection of works examines Britain’s industrial history and urban realities as seen by artists throughout the 20th century, including L.S. Lowry, Ben Nicholson, John Davies and Edward Wadsworth.
Image left: My Yard (from Folk Archive: Contemporary Popular Art from the UK) Made in HMP Atkinson Unit (2004). © The Artists
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A spectacular performance by the Matthew Herbert Big Band headlines Resound
A night of celebration and unique music collaborations at the Barbican - including artists as varied as the Guillemots, Bassekou Kouyate, Justin Adams, Karine Polwart and Music from the Penguin Café – helped to highlight the innovative cultural relations work of the British Council's Music department. The headline performance of the evening was the show-stopping Matthew Herbert Big Band alongside Eska Mtungwazi and the 100-strong The Goldsmiths Vocal Ensemble.
Image left: Eska Mtungwazi live at Resound. Photo: Frank Noon.
Click here to find out more about Resound and watch a video interview with Matthew Herbert and Eska
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Cultural Olympiad launches programme celebrating arts, culture and sport by disabled and deaf people
Unlimited, a £3 million project billed as the UK's largest disability arts programme, launched on 7 October. Part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Unlimited will commission new work by disabled and deaf artists, and help artists develop their skills and present their work to new audiences nationally and abroad.
Image left: Tony Hall with dancers from Cando2 - CandoCo's Youth Dance Company. © LOCOG
Noticeboard
Has modern art sold out to consumerism?
Modern art has sold out by buying in to modern consumerism, argued US political theorist Dr Benjamin Barber at the latest event in the British Council’s 75th anniversary lecture series.
Fifth Curator shortlist announced
This unique opportunity for an aspiring curator to select an exhibition of works from the British Council Collection for the Whitechapel Gallery, London, attracted 161 applications from 47 countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe.
BBC World Service to broadcast winning plays
Plays by Efo Kodjo Mawugbe from Ghana and Erin Browne from the USA will be broadcast during November as part of their prize as winners in our International Radio Playwriting Competition.
Highlights
National Dance Company Wales take UK contemporary dance to China
Building on its growing reputation on the international stage NDCW made its debut tour to three cities in China in October. The flagship arts company toured South West China for 10 days, introducing new audiences to contemporary dance from the UK.
UK design talent participates in Experimenta
Six designers and collectives - Åbäke, Linda Brothwell, Anthony Burrill, Fabien Cappello, Ben Kelly and public works - were asked to create a series of site-specific commissions in Lisbon as part of Experimenta 2009.
First ever National Youth Orchestra of Iraq established
A young Iraqi pianist has realised her dream by starting the first National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. After months of hard work by Zuhal Sultan, the orchestra’s school opened for two weeks of rehearsals to prepare for their first performance in Iraq.
