The term ‘cultural diplomacy’ is gaining increasing currency, but is not well-defined or much discussed.  Nevertherless, recognition of the value of culture as a lever in international relations has grown significantly, not least because of the increased importance of identity as a political factor in many parts of the world. Now is a good time to revisit what we mean by cultural diplomacy and the ways in which culture helps to deliver Britain’s foreign, development, and sustainability policy objectives.

This project will explore the value of culture within the UK’s public diplomacy strategy. Drawing on case studies from Europe, China, South Asia, the US, Africa and the Middle East, it will look at whether and how the current work of cultural institutions could contribute towards the strategy, how they could impact on community relations back home, and what all this means for the creativity agenda. It will also explore whether they could play a role in fostering public debate and engagement and building further capacity within civil society groups.

Our partners on this project are:
The British Council
The British Library
The British Museum
The Natural History Museum
The Royal Botanical Gardens
The Victoria & Albert Museum