Culture as climate action: creativity, community and change
What does cultural heritage have to do with climate change, and how can creativity help communities respond to a crisis that threatens both land and legacy?In the opening episode of Season 3, host Christine Wilson explores cultural heritage and creativity in the context of climate action. From a local neighbourhood in Cairo, to the cultural policy conference Mondiacult, to the United Nations’ global gathering on climate change (the Conference of the Parties - COP), we’re asking how culture and creativity can build more resilient communities and more sustainable futures.Christine is joined by Dr. Sally Flint, a writer, researcher, and creative lead of the We Are the Possible programme at the University of Exeter - an international initiative using poetry and storytelling to communicate the climate crisis. Through Sally’s work, we explore the power of the arts to foster emotional connection, shift perspectives, and imagine new possibilities for the planet.We also hear from May al-Ibrashy, a conservation architect and founder of Megawra, an Egyptian initiative preserving historic Cairo through community-led heritage projects. As the climate crisis reshapes urban life, May shares how heritage conservation can restore not only buildings, but also agency, pride and collective memory.Together, Sally and May offer a powerful reminder that culture is not just what we stand to lose, it’s also how we find the strength to act.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking conversations on culture, communication, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:Season 1 Episode 5: Climate change and cultural heritage with Dr Scott Orr and Barbra Babweteera Mutambihttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/our-world-connected-podcast/climate-change-cultural-heritage-protecting-past-futureClimate change impacts on cultural heritagehttps://www.britishcouncil.org/climate-change-impacts-cultural-heritage-0The British Council Strategic Literature Review: Climate Change Impacts on Cultural Heritagehttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/british-council-strategic-literature-review-climate-change-impacts-cultural Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribeTwitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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Season 3 - Trailer
We’re back! Join us over the coming 12 episodes, where we’ll be continuing our global conversations about culture, education and language, asking how creativity, learning, and international exchange can help us meet the challenges of today’s complex and interconnected world.This season, we’ll be exploring pressing themes of our time, and meeting inspiring people who are making a difference. From how cultural heritage and creative writing are inspiring new approaches to climate action, to how international cultural seasons help build bridges between nations, we’ll hear stories from people working on the ground in Egypt, Brazil, Thailand, the UK and beyond.Join Christine Wilson, Director of Research and Insight at the British Council, and her diverse range of guests as they reflect on the power of culture to shape more peaceful and prosperous futures.If you’re curious about the world in 2025, or simply want to hear fresh perspectives from people shaping culture across continents, follow Our World, Connected, wherever you get your podcasts, and be the first to listen to Season 3.Additional Resources and Links:Climate change impacts on cultural heritage | British CouncilSoft power at a turning point, a comparative analysis | British CouncilUsing multilingual practices | Teaching English | British CouncilTransnational Education - What We Know | British CouncilFollow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter - https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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Teaching hope: conflict, courage and community
What role can education play in times of war, displacement, and uncertainty? And how can schools and universities provide not just learning, but hope, courage, and resilience for communities in crisis?In this bonus episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson reflects on her conversation with Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President at King’s College London and founder of the African Leadership Centre. Drawing on her own experiences of conflict in Nigeria and her career at the UN, ‘Funmi shares why she sees education as central to rebuilding societies — from restoring institutions after war, to forging equitable partnerships that transcend borders.We also hear from Nigerian activist Wadi Ben-Hirki, who has spent nearly a decade advocating for marginalised girls, and from Dr Koula Charitonos of the Open University, who explores how EdTech can offer opportunities for refugees, but also how it has the potential to exacerbateinequalities, and most fundamentally, to lose that human aspect of education.Together, these voices reveal how, even in the face of violence and instability, education can act as a lifeline — shaping futures, strengthening communities, and creating the possibility of lasting peace.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more global stories on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources and Links:Episode 8 Season 1 | Culture and education: Seeds of hope in times of conflicthttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/our-world-connected-podcast/culture-education-hope Teaching for peace - British Councilhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/teaching-for-peaceTransnational education: students from conflict-affected regions opting for UK universitieshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/about/press/students-conflict-affected-regions-opting-uk-universities International higher education partnerships and the Sustainable Development GoalsInternational higher education partnerships and the Sustainable Development Goals | British CouncilResearch in the midst of conflict: New perspectives on peacebuilding in Sudan and Ethiopiahttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/research-in-conflict Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter - https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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Living stories: art, space and memory
What does it mean to tell stories through the spaces we live in? And how can architecture be a source of memory and repair?In this bonus episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson revisits a powerful conversation with Kabage Karanja, architect, researcher, and co-founder of Nairobi-based design studio Cave_bureau.A leading voice in rethinking architecture through the lens of ecology, memory, and justice, Kabage shares his reflections on vernacular architecture, the legacy of British colonialism, and the importance of caves as spaces of cultural knowledge. His work, including the groundbreaking UK-Kenya collaboration Geology of Britannic Repair, exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, asks urgent questions about how we live, what we build, and what we choose to remember.Christine also draws on insights from other voices featured in Season 2 — including artist Rosie Olang’ Odhiambo and filmmaker Noé Mendelle — to explore how storytelling takes many forms, from exhibitions and documentaries to the natural world around us. Together, these creative practitioners show how the stories we choose to tell can become tools for connection, repair, and collective healing.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking conversations on culture, communication, and the power of storytelling.Additional Resources & Links:Digital Cultural Heritage: Imagination, innovation and opportunityhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/digital-cultural-heritageUK Arts, Culture and Young People: Innovative practice and trendshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/UK-arts-young-peopleOFF/TRACK Collective: Imagining New forms of Cultural Productionhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/new-cultural-productionFocus on Ukraine – Supporting Decolonisation in Museumshttps://arts.britishcouncil.org/resources/focus-ukraine-supporting-decolonisation-museumsFollow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter - https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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Rewired: How technology is changing us all
How is technology shaping the way we live, learn, and connect? And what does that mean for young people growing up in a digital-first world?In this bonus episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson revisits a powerful conversation with Baroness Beeban Kidron, crossbench peer in the House of Lords and founder of the 5Rights Foundation. A leading advocate for children’s digital rights, Beeban reflects on the urgent need to rethink how technology is designed and regulated — and the responsibilities of governments, educators, and tech companies in keeping young people safe online.Christine also connects Beeban’s insights to other voices from across the series: from linguist David Crystal on how digital culture is reshaping our language, to consultant Larisa Halilovic on how new technologies are impacting on how we communicate — and what we feel we can trust.Together, these conversations explore a central issue of our time: how digital tools are transforming us all — and how we can harness them for connection, creativity, and positive change.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking conversations on culture, communication, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:Digital Cultural Relations https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/digital-cultural-relationsWhy technology needs artists: 40 international perspectiveshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/why-technology-needs-artists Digital Cultural Heritage: Imagination, innovation and opportunityhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/digital-cultural-heritage Relevant 5Rights Foundation research:Inquiry finds UK Government must regulate GenAI and close online safety loopholeshttps://5rightsfoundation.com/inquiry-finds-uk-government-must-regulate-genai-and-close-online-safety-loopholes/New UK data law: what does it mean for children’s privacy?https://5rightsfoundation.com/new-uk-data-law-what-does-it-mean-for-childrens-privacy/ Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter - https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
Our World, Connected is a brand-new podcast from the British Council, placing you at the heart of the biggest global conversations about culture, connection, and empowerment. Join host Christine Wilson, Director of British Council Research and Insight, and a diverse lineup of world-renowned experts and thinkers as they examine the most pressing issues of our time - and uncover the human stories behind them.
We’ll explore the transformative power of arts, culture, language, and education amidst global challenges like peacebuilding, sustainable development, climate change, and the growth of AI.
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