How we work in the arts

Working with us

What we do in the arts:

we create long-term, mutually beneficial, partnerships with like-minded arts’ organisations within France, Europe and further afield
we raise awareness on themes such as cultural diversity, leadership, other societal issues and sustainable development
we highlight the United Kingdom as a creative, diverse and innovative nation
we work primarily on a global and multilateral scale
we work on projects where we are a key contributor to the content and are not a funding body.

We organise our work under four areas:

Leadership

We support talented, emerging professionals working in the cultural sector through leadership initiatives and events.

Innovation

We work on market intelligence, exploring artistic niches and innovative artistic collaboration between the UK and France and within Europe and North America. We facilitate the mobility of art practitioners.

Social responsibility

We consider how the art sector deals with major global challenges faced by society such as climate change, democratic processes, economic crisis, etc. We support practices that integrate and propose models to face these challenges.

Cultural diversity

We explore how artists deal with their cultural heritage in the context of a diverse Europe. We compare models and approaches to diversity and multiculturalism in the arts within Europe.

Architecture, design, fashion

Covering an array of disciplines, from furniture design to contemporary fashion, UK designers and architects are pushing the boundaries of their practice and looking to the future with their innovation and high standards of production. Our cultural relations work extends to all areas of UK architecture, design and fashion to showcase the most exciting and best work in partnership with our overseas network.

Find out about our current activity

Find out about our current activity and the latest developments across all areas of UK architecture, design and fashion on our dedicated website.

Creative and Cultural Economy

The British Council’s Creative and Cultural Economy programme connects people who work in and inform the creative and cultural industries around the world with those in the UK.

It provides a global support network for the new leaders in this increasingly important sector, which represents 9% of global trade and creates new livelihoods for many.

As well as stimulating economic growth, they are also imagining some new and resourceful responses to social, cultural and technological challenges.

More information on our programmes.

Drama and dance

We work across all forms of drama and dance, from live art and physical theatre, to classic and text-based drama.

We work with our overseas network of arts managers and partners to plan, resource, deliver and evaluate high-impact arts projects involving professional artists and organisations from the UK. We aim to promote new images of the UK, to establish long-term partnerships abroad and to attract younger audiences.

Film

The British Council's Film team is the link between UK films, filmmakers, and new international audiences. We work to profile and promote excellence in British film.

You can find more information on the British Council Film site.

Search our British Films Directory, which contains a continuously expanding record of UK features, shorts, documentaries and animation.

Discover the British Council Film Collection, an archive of over 120 short documentary films made by the British Council during the 1940s, designed to show the world how Britain lived, worked and played.

Literature

We showcase contemporary UK writing and the UK literature sector through round tables and readings working in partnership with publishers, festivals, universities and cultural associations throughout France. Our focus is on fiction and poetry by living and innovative writers.

Music

Our work in the sector covers a wide variety of genres, ranging from electronica and jazz, to folk, classical, and contemporary music

We work with our partners to plan, resource, deliver and evaluate high-impact arts projects involving professional artists and organisations from the UK.

We aim to strengthen the international profile of UK music and creativity, to communicate the diversity of UK society, and to establish long-term partnerships overseas. We also have a weekly radio show, The Selector, featuring the best new music from the UK.

Visual Arts

Covering a vast range of disciplines, from the fine arts through to the very latest in digital art, we work with the best of British artists to curate and tour UK art internationally.

The visual arts are amongst the most powerful and influential areas within the arts in Britain today. Covering a vast range of disciplines, from the fine arts through to the very latest in digital art, UK artists are pushing the boundaries of their practice to the limit and looking to the future. Find out more about our visual arts work on our global site.

Fluxus, Franco-British fund for contemporary arts

The British Council in France is supporting emerging visual artists and curators through Fluxus, the Franco-British fund for contemporary arts, in partnership with the Institut Français and the French Ministry of Culture. Each year the programme supports a selection of group or solo exhibitions, and curatorial residencies, bringing the French and British scenes together. For full information on this programme, the selection criteria and the application form, have a look at the Fluxus website.

Working with the British Council

If you are working on similar themes and have a collaborative idea you would like to share with the British Council, you can contact us by sending an email to programmes@britishcouncil.fr. Please provide us with your contact details and as much key information on your project as possible.