British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations with other countries. British Council’s approach to cultural relations is a broad one. It covers governance and human rights as well as the arts, science, education and intercultural dialogue – and we set out deliberately to break down the boundaries between them.
British Council Portugalia’s work is focused on three “programme areas” of global importance:
- Intercultural dialogue – building trust and understanding between individuals, cultures and nationalities, strengthening civil society and contributing to positive social change.
- Creative and knowledge economy – sharing the UK’s expertise in the Arts, Science, Education and the Creative Industries for mutual, international benefit.
- Climate change – increasing the understanding for the need to tackle climate change and building relationships and networks that lead to action on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Intercultural dialogue
- Migrant Integration Policy Index: using 148 policy indicators, this study creates a rich, multi-dimensional picture of migrants’ opportunities to participate in European societies.
- Our Shared Europe: Our Shared Europe works to strengthen the bonds of mutual knowledge and trust between Muslims and other majority and minority communities in Europe through the development of a series of initiatives.
- Inclusion and Diversity in Education (INDIE): Inclusion & Diversity in Education is a project that addresses the challenges migration presents to schools in Europe. Five schools in Portugal take part in the project.
- Transatlantic Network 2020: Transatlantic Network 2020 works to strengthen ties between Europe and North America through the creation of a sustainable network of next generation leaders.
- Bilingual schools: Many governments around the world are now seeing a bilingual approach to education as a more effective way of preparing young people to meet the challenges of studying and working in an increasingly multilingual and integrated world
- Language Rich Europe: Through fresh research, a pioneering new tool – the Language Rich Europe Index – and a network of partners, this project seeks to highlighting good language policy / practice to enable informed policy choices
Creativity and knowledge
- Fashioning the Future Awards is the leading international crossdisciplinary platform for celebrating innovative initiatives towards fashion design for sustainability, its development and communication.
- IndieLisboa is a chance to encounter the most recent and interesting works of independent cinema from all over the world.
- Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa — the most significant architectural event in the Iberian Peninsula — is now in preparation for its second edition. The British Council is partnering with the Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa to bring the work of Alison and Peter Smithson to Lisbon.
- Cultural Leadership International (CLI) is developing a new generation of cultural leaders.
- Darwin Now is a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world.
- BritLit uses contemporary British literature as a language learning tool.
The British Council has six teaching centres in Coimbra, Greater Lisbon and Porto.
