Celebrating 30 years of our bilateral relations, the Season of Culture aims to strengthen cultural exchanges and form even more partnerships between the two countries.

Installation fragment at SWAP:UK/UA residency exhibition at Yermilov Centre, Kharkiv 2019 © Kyung Hwa Shon. He Needs My Eye Looking At Him. He Needs Me To Prove He’s Alive

During the Strategic Dialogue meeting in London on 8 December 2021, Elizabeth Truss, the UK Foreign Secretary, and Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, announced the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture 2022.

In 2022, Ukraine and the United Kingdom will celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations. To celebrate this anniversary, the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute are joining to organise an exciting bilateral cultural cooperation project — the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture 2022.

From May to November, the Season of Culture brings together a diverse community of artists, creators, and educators from both countries to explore our cultures, our planet, our relationship with digital technologies, and what the future holds for all those involved in cultural processes. The theme of the Season of Culture — Future reimagined.

The UK/Ukraine Season of Culture 2022 will include an intensive programme of art events. Ukrainian Institute see the Season of Culture as an opportunity to represent Britain in Ukraine and Ukraine in Britain, bridging the geographical distance between our countries through the best projects in music, theatre, cinematography, publishing, fashion, visual arts, and the full range of creative sectors. Audiences will be able to enjoy it through innovative offline, online, and hybrid formats.

Two parties will create opportunities to help Ukrainian and British artists and organisations make new contacts and develop partnerships. We strive to promote valuable experiences and collaborations that have bold, fresh and inspiring ideas at their core.

Ukraine and the UK will continue to work together to build closer links in Higher Education. The UK will support reform of English language teaching in Ukraine’s education system, including the New Ukrainian School reform. The new Future English programme will provide research, consultancy and continuing professional development to the Ministry of Education and Science, and a new Online Teacher Community to provide opportunities for up to 25,000 teachers throughout Ukraine over the next three years.