In order to allow a greater number of colleagues to maximise their visit and gain a deeper understanding of the British Council’s work, the Focal Points Meeting was organised back-to-back with a EUNIC Mobility Scheme visit beginning on 13 May. Both meetings were hosted by the British Council at its head office, with overlapping agendas to encourage greater exchange and dialogue.

The annual Focal Points Meeting offers a valuable opportunity for representatives from each EUNIC member organisation to meet in person, strengthen peer-to-peer connections, and gain insights into key topics that are shaping international cultural relations today.

The Focal Points Meeting also offers the EUNIC team an opportunity to share important updates with the network, such as the new EUNIC strategic framework, the evolution of the network’s communications strategy, developments across the global network of EUNIC clusters, and the newly launched Spaces of Culture programme in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A strong emphasis was placed on community-building and active membership in this year’s meeting. Together, Focal Points and the EUNIC team co-created future programme areas, including next steps for the EUNIC Mobility Scheme and the upcoming Knowledge Sharing Workshops.

The Mobility Scheme programme began with an introduction from Mark Stephens, Director Cultural Engagement, who introduced the organisation’s global mission and global cultural relations work. This was followed by in-depth presentations from British Council colleagues covering gender equality, EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion), research, evaluation and measurement, as well as communication strategies and cultural engagement.

The second day of the visit welcomed the arrival of the EUNIC Focal Points, joining the Mobility Scheme participants. British Council CEO Scott McDonald opened the meeting with a powerful reminder of the role of EUNIC and its members:

What we all do as EUNIC members is so impactful. The British Council is committed to EUNIC, to extending the reach of our work, and collaborating better together. That commitment matters more than ever in the current global context, where cultural relations are important in tackling shared challenges.

Scott McDonald, CEO, British Council

Louise Kallora-Stimpson, Director of the British Council EU Office in Brussels and EUNIC Focal Point, led a session on the British Council’s global portfolio. Sarah Giles, Director of Culture Responds to Global Challenges, presented the organisation’s approach to international cultural relations as a response to today’s global challenges.

Panel discussions explored recent developments in EU–UK cultural relations ahead of the UK–EU summit in London, while the three presidents of the EUNIC London cluster joined to share how they are expanding partnerships beyond the capital and exploring what European cultural collaboration looks like in a post-Brexit context.

Focal Points also had a guided tour of the British Council’s environmentally sustainable building and the various commissioned artworks on display. Those on the Mobility Scheme visit also had the chance to visit the East Bank - the UK’s newest cultural quarter in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Participants saw first-hand how links are being built between arts, culture, and education institutions and local communities, embracing both the Olympic legacy and the area’s rich cultural heritage.

The programme also involved a visit to Europe House to attend a EUNIC London cluster event: Mapping the City, an evening dedicated to European literature in the heart of London.

The Focal Points Meeting served as a valuable preparatory moment ahead of the EUNIC General Assembly, which will take place on 18–19 June in Amsterdam, hosted by DutchCulture, and will see Kirsten van den Hul, Director of DutchCulture, take over the EUNIC presidency.

Photos from the Focal Points Meeting can be found here.