A 70th anniversary collaboration
The British Council was a founding partner of the first ever Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. We came together through a shared belief in the power of arts and culture to change the world, and act as a beacons of hope and reconciliation in a divided continent.
70 years on, we teamed up with Edinburgh International Festival to reignite that spirit and celebrate international cultural collaboration in 2017. Artists from Scotland, England, USA, Ukraine, Lebanon, Cuba, China, Jamaica, Palestine, Chile, Argentina, Syria, Portugal, Germany, Iran, Pakistan, India, and many more, presented work in the Scottish capital over ten days of electrifying performances and discussions.
Relive the experience
You can relive the Spirit of '47 experience by visiting our microsite, packed full of videos and exclusive content. Highlights include, Paul Auster, New European Songbook and Martin Creed.
Spirit of '47 poem
We commissioned Edinburgh Makar, Christine De Luca, to write a special poem to mark the Spirit of 47 season.
Watch Christine read her poem alongside other Spirit of '47 performers and festival goers in our video.