Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India, today announced the transformation of the British Council Library into a cultural convening space with its new premises.
On his maiden visit to the ‘City of Pearls’ Hyderabad to launch the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture, the new Director India emphasised the need to promote cultural exchange for stronger ties and bring about a better contemporary understanding of India and the UK. With new premises from April 2016, the British Council library will move a step further from being a repository of knowledge with books, magazines and newspapers, and aim to become an epicentre of cultural activity in the city with regular events and activities for all ages. The Library will host Film clubs, book groups, organise activities for children, workshops, book launches, arts events, performances, debates. It will also serve as a hub for partners and visiting UK institutions.
Speaking at the event, Alan Gemmell OBE, said, “India and the UK have years of shared history and 2017 UK-India Year of Culture seeks to promote this spirit of cultural partnership. Our future generations must understand and appreciate our past and the path that we have travelled together to reach where we stand today.”
British Council in Hyderabad, through its various projects in English, Arts and Education, connects young people with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK. The Library in Hyderabad caters to over 2,000 members through its physical and online library collection. The Young Learners zone will continue to provide interactive books for our young learners. In the new premises, British Council will be introducing exciting new programmes for kids in 2016, including kids’ films, workshops, and a wider range of kids’ books.
Alan was appointed OBE in the 2016 New Year Honours List for services to arts and science. From May 2016 he will take up his appointment as Director of the British Council in India. (NSS)