It was one of the most significant points in my journey when the British Council selected me as the International Young Fashion Entrepreneur. This partnership was exactly what I needed to tie up with the creative industries’ global hub in the UK and bring back the knowledge, and to become a catalyst in building the creative industries here.
The British Council is an organisation that really believes in creativity, and its potential, to change things up for our society and the creative sector. The relevance of the creative industries to generate economic impact for our part of the world this is massive, and the British Council has been a partner since 2009 with me in this journey.
The British Council has resonated with my work for a decade now empowering us with the knowledge and the people from the global hub for creative industries in the UK.
We came to find more and more ways to collaborate and nourish ideas and projects that fuel the Sri Lankan creative economy. From Sri Lanka Design Festival to the Creative Economy Policy Forum, the British Council has resonated with my work for a decade now empowering us with the knowledge and the people from the global hub for creative industries in the UK.
For me, a highlight was the very special evening fashion show and exhibition at the British High Commissioner’s private residence that allowed us to show the work done in the North of Sri Lanka, just after the war ended and we got to showcase the power of what the creative industries could really do. The Creative Industries’ Policy Forum is the second most significant memory; it was led by Gill and Menika. The first really shows our close connection, and the latter portrays just how wide we’ve taken our collaboration to reach a nationally relevant case.
For us, the examples and the knowledge that the British Council brings in connecting creativity and culture, have really brought great perspectives in where Sri Lanka’s culture connects to its economy.
If you’re in Sri Lanka and creativity is important to you, then the British Council is probably one of the most important institutes for you to know and collaborate with. It encourages, facilitates and invests in creativity, and its practitioners; a fantastic partner to have on your side.