A major part of the cultural conversation today is about local culture in the global community: culture is part of the toolkit for global understanding, diplomacy, and more. Particularly in light of the London 2012 Olympics and its associated Cultural Olympiad, the world is more frequently than ever looking for opportunities to share art, ideas, cultures, and conversations. How do we seek to share our cultures, and how do we put our best feet forward? At Festival 2012, we invited Graham Sheffield CBE, Director of Arts for the British Council, to speak about arts and culture on the global scene. At the British Council, Sheffield has been heavily involved in the British government's efforts to share the country's cultural exports, and was also involved in the planning of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. In this fascinating talk, Sheffield shares stories and insights about the power of art and culture to connect the local to the global, and vice versa. The discussion connects international perspectives to our national conversation about the value of cultural place-making.
Posted September 11, 2012