Giving a little taste of what to expect over the next 10 months, the British Council recently launched the India/UK Together Season of Culture. The programme, which marks and celebrates the longstanding relationship between India and Britain, will feature over 1,400 artists from both countries collaborating on dance, music, theatre, poetry, literature and visual arts performances.

These collaborative projects will be presented in India, UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Barbara Wickham, Director, British Council, India said: “This is a 10-month cultural exchange program that will take place in India and the UK until March next year. It is time to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and this program aims to celebrate and strengthen the bilateral ties and friendships between the two.”

AN EVENING OF IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Alex Ellis, Britain’s High Commissioner, said: “The two countries have occasionally snuggled, occasionally fought, over the past 500 years, and in all of that interaction great art must emerge. And you can see the power of that connection. These are two very deep groups of cultures, you can hear it in sound, you can see it in movement, color, shape and form, and you can taste it too. One extraordinary thing between India and the UK is the scale of the flow of people, all of you and all of us, between the two countries and where is that happening? You have to have creativity, you have to have communication, so it’s great to have a season that’s about that communication happening with a lot of voices in different places.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), who was the main guest at the event, spoke about his connection with the British Council.

“HONORED TO BE THIS SEASON’S AMBASSADOR”
Grammy and Academy Award-winning music composer AR Rahman, who was announced as an ambassador for the season, shared via video message, “I’m honored and excited to be an ambassador. The season is an outstanding cultural alliance celebrating the strong bonds of friendship and creativity between India and Britain. I look forward to an exciting year filled with a wealth of performances and events that will celebrate innovation in the arts, nurture young and emerging talent, and strengthen equal cultural exchanges internationally.”