British Council Poland | Cultural Diplomacy
Challenge
How to design UK/Poland Season 2025 – a cultural cooperation programme between Poland and the UK – in a way that responds to the needs of the cultural sector post-pandemic, post-Brexit, and in the context of the war in Ukraine? Traditional formulas for international cooperation were no longer adequate.
Approach
Foresight study conducted across 7 Polish cities involving 70 cultural organisations (93 participants). The process included: online surveys, 59 in-depth interviews, and 7 workshops using futures thinking methods — trend and weak signal analysis, future scenarios, prototyping new cooperation models, and mapping local ecosystems.
Outcome
Two-part report (executive summary + full 60-page version) containing: a diagnosis of sector needs and barriers, 12 thematic areas for new cooperation models (including “process over products”, accessibility and inclusiveness, decentralisation, social engagement of art), and recommendations for grant formats and the British Council’s role as cultural intermediary. The report became the foundation for designing the UK/Poland Season 2025 programme.
Scale
7 cities, 70 organisations, 93 participants, 59 interviews, 7 workshops, 2025–2035 time horizon