Our work in arts

British Council Arts programmes are designed to connect the creative sector in India, and wider audiences, with the best of UK contemporary arts.

We build strong relationships between artists, producers, festivals, venues, curators and directors in the UK and their counterparts in India, encouraging them to work together and championing the great things that emerge in the UK and in India.

We’re not a funder of projects: instead, we work through a small number of key projects each year that we develop in partnership with others. Those projects range from networking and skills development through to creative exchanges, collaborations and showcases of new work.

We work with partners in India to curate programmes that range from theatre, dance and music to visual arts, literature, design and interdisciplinary creativity. But no matter what the type of project, and no matter what the art form or creative sector, they are all ultimately aiming for the same goal: the building of stronger relationships between the UK and India in the arts.

 

 

home page I Art Forms

  • White Caps performance by Champloo. Man reaching out to one side bending on the floor
    Dance

    When impulse, the season of contemporary UK dance kicked off in Chennai in September, it marked the start of five months of electrifying dance, the length and breadth of India. From globally-renowned legends like Akram Khan to the best new cutting-edge work from Protein and Champloo, it’s proving to be an unforgettable celebration of the dance connections between the UK and India.

  • British council courtyard from above with people
    Design and fashion

    Over the next couple of years our design focus is set to sharpen as we cultivate and celebrate the impact that design can have on our wider society. With new programmes that develop curation and design writing, we’ll be giving the sector the tools to reach out to new audiences.

  • Germaine Greer at Hay Festival
    Literature

    Our Literature programmes connect contemporary UK writing with readers and writers in India, through festivals, universities, translators, schools, and public events.

  • Our work with museums
    Museums

    India’s heritage forms one of its greatest cultural assets, and its museums are the key to unlocking the potential of that heritage. To help achieve that ambition, there’s a widely recognised need to develop policy, skills and up-to-date sector expertise.

  • shlomo
    Music

    In 2008, British Council identified the independent music sector in India as an exciting new creative force. Since then, a persistent programme of interventions has made a big contribution to developing India’s indie scene: identifying talented music entrepreneurs, exposing the sector to leading players in UK – but also exposing UK to new ideas from India – and working with both countries to introduce fresh sounds to India and develop new audiences.

  • ISD_2012_5
    Theatre

    British Council’s theatre programmes see the best contemporary UK productions touring in India, foster new relationships between the UK and Indian theatre sectors, and connect high quality theatre with the education sector.

  • Homelands
    Visual arts

    Latika Gupta’s curated exhibition, Homelands, with works by thirty of the UK's greatest contemporary artists, will tour to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru in 2013. Meanwhile the Queen's Gallery in Delhi offers a rolling programme of exhibitions connecting the UK and India.

  • Art Inspiration and Opportunities
    Networking and Opportunities

    We are developing fresh ways of bringing creative minds together across the cultural spectrum and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders to engage and collaborate.