2025: Our year in arts intro
2025 has been another remarkable year for our Arts teams in the UK and around the world.
We have supported artists and creatives globally to build peace and prosperity, strengthen social cohesion, inspire hope, and bring new perspectives to the global issues that we all face.
This page brings together some of the highlights of our busy year in Arts. We look forward to building more creative connections around the world with you in 2026.
International Seasons of Culture
Through three bilateral Seasons of Culture in 2025, we’ve showcased the work of creatives and artists from Kenya, Poland and Brazil, opening doors to new markets, audiences and opportunities across the UK and our partner nations.
The UK/Poland Season spanned 40+ cities with 100+ projects across diverse art forms, highlighting themes of inclusion, migration and women’s perspectives and reaching over 1 million people. The UK/Kenya Season celebrated innovation across art forms and spotlighted the next generation of voices shaping our shared cultural heritage.
The UK/Brazil Season continues into 2026, with a programme of activities across arts, innovation, heritage and environmental awareness, designed to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Brazil through cultural exchange.
Bradford UK City of Culture
As the international partner for Bradford UK City of Culture 2025, we helped elevate the city’s global profile by spotlighting its vibrant cultural diversity, creative energy and warm, welcoming spirit. We collaborated with partners from 11 countries and welcomed delegations from 23 nations across four continents, including Malaysia, Brazil, Ukraine and South Africa.
It's been a busy year for Selector Radio. Highlights include exclusive live sets from the likes of Mercury prize winners English Teacher, Welsh Music Prize winner LEMFRECK Scottish Jazz Award winners, corto.alto. Watch these incredible performances and more in our Selector Sessions video series, recorded at SXSW and The Great Escape in 2025.
Connections Through Culture
For the first time, this year our Connections Through Culture grants programme included countries from Europe in addition to Asia Pacific. This year’s inspiring projects highlight diversity, inclusion and climate change, showcasing the power of creative partnerships and how they can make a global impact.
GBR – Geology of Britannic Repair
From May to November, GBR – The Geology of Britannic Repair took over the British Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. A groundbreaking collaboration between a UK and Kenyan curatorial team, the exhibition explored the UK’s complex historical relationship with Kenya, drawing parallels between architecture and colonisation as interconnected systems. We were delighted to be awarded the Biennale's Special Mention for National Participation.
Edinburgh International Performing Arts Delegation
In August, our Edinburgh International Performing Arts Delegation programme returned to Scotland for its second year, helping international professionals to navigate the city’s world-famous festivals, get a snapshot of contemporary UK performance and be part of an inspiring international arts meet-up. Since 2024, the programme has generated new tours and projects for UK artists in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Nigeria, Poland, and Turkey.
Africa Fashion Week London
Creative DNA showcased 10 emerging designers from six African countries at Africa Fashion Week London 2025, through a dedicated catwalk, an exhibition pavilion, and industry panel discussions. The event provided international exposure and market access, strengthening sustainable growth and global connections within Africa’s fashion sector.
Watch an interview with one of the delegates, Harare-based designer Danayi Madondo.
Creative Commissions for Climate Action Evaluation
After three years of creative climate action, this evaluation captures the journeys of over 30 collaborative projects between the UK and countries worldwide, demonstrating what impact arts and culture can make on people and planet.
British Council Collection
The British Council Collection has had prolific year, with Collection works featured in more than 20 exhibitions in 11 countries. There were three exhibitions in Łódź, Gdańsk and Plymouth as part of the UK/Poland Season of Culture; a David Hockney solo presentation in Belgrade; major exhibitions at the Pera Museum in Turkey and the Coventry Biennial; and projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia as part of our Moving Image curatorial development programme. What a year!
Language is a Queer Thing
In September, six LGBTQIA+ poets from India and the UK travelled to Bradford for Language is a Queer Thing. The poets performed at BBC Contains Strong Language and led a series of community activation projects. Poet Amani Saeed appeared on BBC Radio 4’s The Verb to talk about the new anthology, Somewhere There is a Sky For Us.
Intangible Cultural Heritage Day
As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Cultural Protection Fund, Stephanie Grant, Director of the Cultural Protection Fund, shares insights into the 65 transformative projects over our 10-year journey in this article, published in October to mark Intangible Cultural Heritage Day.
UK – Guest Country of Honour at Cervantino in Mexico
In October we presented programme of bold, diverse and inclusive artists from all four nations of the UK at Cervantino, one of the biggest cultural gatherings in Latin America, where the UK was the Guest Country of Honour.
Highlights from across the UK
2025 was a significant year for our arts work in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and internationally. Through partnerships, exchanges, residencies and cultural programmes, we supported artists and organisations to build new connections, share their work and collaborate across borders.
Our highlights from the UK nations offer a snapshot of the some of the key projects and partnerships that shaped the year.
Travel Grants Fund
Our Travel Grants Fund, delivered in partnership with the British Film Institute, continued in 2025, giving UK film talent access to important platforms around the world. This year, over 280 UK film and XR creatives attended international film festivals, development labs and pitching forums in 35 countries across Europe and the US as well as China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Nigeria, Australia, Morocco and Kenya.
Creative Climate Action at COP30
At this year's COP30 in Belem, Brazil, British Council joined local and global partners in platforming cultural responses to tackle climate change, featuring poetry readings, music festivals, exhibitions, panel discussions and more.
Our work in creative economy
As international partner for BEYOND, the leading R&D conference for the creative industries, our programme explored the intersection of imagination, technology and place, and looked at emerging ecosystems where creators, technologists, and communities co-design the future.
Other highlights from our work in creative economy include the inaugural ASEAN-UK Creative Economy Symposium, the Growth Reimagined forum in Kotor, Creative Convergence in Bengaluru, and a creative-industries workshop at the Pontignano Conference—bringing together global policymakers and creative leaders to strengthen partnerships, shape sustainable growth, and advance shared UK–regional priorities.
