British Council Scotland has today announced the appointment of Claire de Braekeleer as its new Director. Claire will oversee the organisation's education and arts initiatives while strengthening Scotland's global partnerships. She will champion Scottish creativity and innovation on the international stage, leveraging the British Council's network in 100 countries worldwide to create new opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange.
Claire will join the team in Edinburgh, bringing twenty years of experience with the British Council across multiple continents. Most recently, she helped deliver the UK-Ukraine Season of Culture in 2023, including Scottish partners in the cultural initiative and forging new links between Scotland and Ukraine's creative communities.
Claire says about the new role:
"I'm absolutely thrilled to take on this leadership role with British Council Scotland. Having lived and worked in Scotland since 2021, I've seen the incredible cultural and educational assets this country has to offer and its clear strategies for building international connections. I'm looking forward to working with the team here to amplify Scotland's reputation globally, and to create opportunities for Scottish organisations to build international partnerships which contribute to cultural, social and economic wellbeing."
Claire brings extensive international and cross-sectoral programming and business development experience to the job, including previous roles in Turkey as Regional Arts Director Wider Europe, as Director Partnerships Egypt, and as Deputy Director Russia. Claire holds a master's degree in Cultural and Creative Industries and has championed the role of the creative economy in international relations throughout her career.
Claire adds about her priorities:
"Scotland has a distinct cultural position in today's world and a real openness to international engagement in the cultural and education sectors. My own background in creative economy development aligns well with Scotland's growing investments in technology, AI, and the creative industries, so I’m keen to look at new partnership development in this area.
"We have some fantastic projects coming up, from connecting young people through the Franco British Youth Oceanic Conference, deepening our UK-Ukraine educational ties, and our new Language Trends Scotland survey just launched. On the arts side, we're expanding support for artists affected by conflict and helping Scottish festivals build their international reach."
Welcoming Claire into her new role, David Thompson, Director UK and External Relations for the British Council said:
"We are delighted to welcome Claire into the team in this important role. Her extensive experience overseas and at the heart of the sectors we work with, combined with her understanding of Scotland's cultural landscape, mean she is ideally placed to lead our work here.
“Coming into post, Claire will be on the lookout for new opportunities to strengthen Scotland’s global connections in support of the priorities identified by the Scottish Government, the sectors in Scotland and aligned with our commitment to work for the whole of the UK”.
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Rosalind Gould, Media Manager, UK, British Council
M +44 (0)777 0934 953
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