Sir Vernon Ellis, chair of the British Council, during an interview with Moushumi Sharma, talks about the fast-changing relationship between India and the UK in the 21st century

With its motto of “Learn, share, connect worldwide”, the British Council, the United Kingdom’s international cultural relations body, has always strived to better connect the UK with the rest of the globe by opening up its cultural windows to the world. Given the shared colonial history, the past of India and the UK offers a platform for strong bilateral relations. But with the winds of change blowing across the political spectrum in the current scenario, the relationship is fast changing.

ReImagine, a one-year research and dialogue initiative of the British Council and partner organisations in the UK and India, provides the opportunity to re-imagine a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries that values the past while seeking to define the future together in the 21st century.
Sir Vernon Ellis, chair of the British Council, was in the national capital recently to launch the Cultural Relationship Mapping Survey for the ReImagine programme. Sir Vernon spent his working life at Accenture, a global outsourcing and consulting firm, has been the chairman of the English National Opera since June 2006, and is involved in the boards of several musical organisations.
Excerpts from a conversation over coffee with Moushumi Sharma at New Delhi’s Park Hotel:

Q. Your foundation supports many art companies and charities. In the current economic climate, with the euro crisis looming large, how easy or difficult is it for fund-raising activities to help arts thrive?

A. Fund-raising is a part of the equation. In Britain, quite successfully, we have got a mixed economy in terms of public support for arts, like performing arts, cultural events and museums. We have the revenue earned from ticket sales and also private support, which comes from a mixture of corporations, trusts and individuals. In fact, the bulk of private support comes from individuals. A recent survey shows that corporate support has gone down. There’s great pressure on public funding which has also gone down. I think there has to be a great essence of support from foundations and individuals. If they believe arts to be an important part of a civilised society, they have to help. Not all the money will come from the government or from ticket sales.

Q. The British Council’s main aim is to promote cultural relations. In one of your earlier interviews you had said that India-UK cultural ties would be based on a mutual understanding, rather than a one-way export. How far has the British Council succeeded in furthering this understanding?

A. We are in the middle of a project called ReImagine, which is trying to take a fundamental look at where the cultural ties of India and the UK stand today. India is now a major power in the world. There’s an increasing interest in Indian arts, culture, literature as well as economics. Of course, culture not only includes arts, but also education. We have the UK-India Education and Research Initiative and many student exchange programmes. We are working with universities in both the countries to add more value, more research and more collaboration to promote India and Britain’s ties.

Q. What do you think should be the focus of India and Britain’s cultural ties?

A. I think student exchange programmes is the main part of the bilateral cultural ties, although it’s not the only one. We have in common the use of English language and teaching English is a part of what we do in India. We have successful teachers’ training programmes. That I think is important because with the growing use of English language we can have more success in terms of student exchange, and this will surely have more resonance in terms of educational contact, artistic contact, business contact. English language has always been the focus of the British Council and I see it remaining that way in the years to come.

Q. What about sports? Has it been used to promote cultural relations?

A. Yes, definitely. There are some interesting projects that the British Council has taken up. For example, the International Inspiration project is being done as part of our run-up to the Games. We promised to engage 12 million children in different developing countries and emerging economies at the time of getting the Games. In India, we have many imaginative and important projects to put more physical education into the school curriculum. Through the British Council, the UK is committed to creating a worldwide legacy for young people through sports as part of the 2012 London Olympics. The British Council Youth Sport Leadership Camp, a three-day residential camp that was organised in Delhi from February 24-26 this year, involving approximately 250 students and 70 teachers from over 70 schools in India, is a great example of creating and delivering not only the sporting dreams of young people but also developing sporting skills needed in the 21st century.

Q. What aspect of India’s culture do you think most influences Britain’s youth? Is it the country’s traditions, Bollywood, music or fashion?

A. I think Bollywood and Indian fashion score high in this one. India has a wide variety of music and there has been a growing interest in Indian classical music. I remember sitar player Ravi Shankar once came to London for a concert, and it was jam-packed, full of young people. This shows the passion for Indian music. Indian cuisine is another important part of Indian culture. There’s a huge growth of Indian restaurants in the UK and they are doing quite well.

Q. What benefits do arts bring to bilateral ties?

A. Well, I think arts are good windows on cultures. They express ideas, speak about heritage and history. India and Britain have such a complex and long relationship. We were both colonies in the past; there were rebellions. The contemporary art scene in India is flourishing and in Britain, too, there’s a fusion in modern art. This can be used to reflect the common past of both the countries so that people on both sides have a better understanding of our common cultural thread.

Q. Where do you see the India-Britain relationship headed to in the next decade?

A. I think the relationship will definitely grow and deepen with time. The British Council works with 110 countries, including China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and countries in north Africa and West Asia. India holds a place of prominence because, as I said earlier, it is a major power today. That’s why we have come up with ReImagine, to get a fresh perspective of the relevance of India-Britain ties in the 21st century. We can help each other in terms of curatorial skills, school education and student exchange initiatives.