Tarkib catalogue English 2015 | Page 5

A Few words from the British Council›s Director We at the British Council are very pleased and excited to be supporting TARKIB. Arts, along with English and Education, is one of our core areas of work. Our work in the arts fosters ownership of individuals and communities with a view to generating dialogue, strengthening civil society and enabling democratic transition, human rights and social stability. This is exactly what TARKIB is aiming to do. Through TARKIB a set of young and talented Iraqi artists are not only showcasing their creative, exciting designs and installations but they are also sending a message via their work as to how they view the social and political landscape in Iraq. It is extremely important that the youth have a voice and can express their views in society in a peaceful manner and in a way, which encourages thought, dialogue and empathy. This group of talented young artists have done exactly that through their thought provoking pieces of work and I commend them for tackling important topics such as gender inequality, war, loss, hope and governance. As important as it is for the young to have a voice in society, it is equally important for that voice to be heard and responded to by those in authority and a dialogue to ensue. We at the British Council are proud to be playing a role in amplifying the youth voice and contributing to the dialogue in Iraqi society. Amir Ramzan, Director Iraq, British Council. The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries, and builds trust between them worldwide. We call this work cultural relations. We work in over 100 countries, connecting millions of people with the United Kingdom through programms and services in the English language, the Arts, Education and Society. We believe these are the most effective means of engaging with others, and we have been doing this work since 1934. 3