Culture Connects: Lives Entwined
We partnered with the British Embassy in Dublin on a Culture Connects: Lives Entwined reception and performance on 10th March 2025 at The Chapel, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Dublin 8. The event brought together key figures from government, arts, culture, and higher education to celebrate the intertwined nature of the UK and Ireland’s relationship. The evening highlighted the significance of cultural connections, celebrating the deep cultural ties and collaborations between the UK and Ireland through performance and artistic expression.
Taking place just days after the inaugural UK Ireland Summit, Culture Connects: Lives Entwined which marked a RESET in UK Ireland relations, with culture, education, and people-to-people connections as the fourth pillar of focus. This event reflected on and celebrated the shared history of collaboration, particularly through the lens of arts and culture.
The event also flagged our upcoming research project, Culture Connects: mapping UK Ireland arts & cultural connections. This mixed-methods study mapped UK Ireland arts and cultural connections, providing new insights into artist mobility and cross-border collaboration.
Drawing inspiration from the British Council’s five-volume publication series, Britain & Ireland: Lives Entwined (2005-2019), the event also extended these themes of reflection and collaboration through performances in music, song, and spoken word. Artists from Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales shared their personal experiences and the impact of working across borders on their lives and careers (see below for their bios). The evening was hosted by award winning journalist, author, broadcaster and motivational speaker, Dearbhail McDonald.
Culture Connects: Lives Entwined was a celebration of the ongoing relationship between the UK and Ireland, highlighting the power of cultural exchange and collaboration across borders. In the wake of British Council's 90th anniversary and the week before St Patrick's Day, we were also delighted to be joined by the organisation's Chief Executive, Scott McDonald, who visited Ireland to join the celebrations, engage with various stakeholders and learn more about British Council's work in Ireland.
You can view photos from the evening here.
This event was produced in partnership with SoSimpatico Productions.