BC narrative
The British Council believes that promoting the exchange of knowledge and ideas generates opportunities and responds to aspirations. This builds understanding and co-operation and enables people in the UK and around the world to have more secure and fulfilling lives. As a result, cultural relations earns trust and influence for the UK.
The British Council works by engaging with leaders, influencers and aspirants from across the world and enabling them to collaborate with leaders, influencers and aspirants in the UK to result in a flow of mutual trust and engagement.
The British Council’s offer for leaders is to provide leadership opportunities and connections across the globe; for influencers, we allow the exchange of knowledge and ideas by bringing together influencers from different countries to develop mutual trust, intercultural understanding, shared goals and public policy outcomes; for aspirants, the British Council offer is to provide access to skills and knowledge.
On the access level, the British Council does this through online and large-scale projects, such as programmes focussed around language, education and skills. On the influence level, the British Council engages people worldwide through face-to-face and large-scale programmes. On the leadership level, the British Council provides leaders with opportunities for international networking and influence.
Cultural relations is part of UK international relations, which ranges from aid at one end of the spectrum to hard power at the other. The diagram below describes where the British Council’s work in cultural relations is positioned within this wider international relations context:
