The British Council aims to build long term, mutually beneficial partnerships between individuals and institutions in the UK and Việt Nam. It does this by promoting opportunities in the arts, English language, education and training, governance and information services. In the arts it works with British and Vietnamese specialists in the field of performing and visual arts, film, design and literature. At the end of 2001 an agreement was signed between the governments of the UK and Việt Nam giving the British Council in Việt Nam an independent legal status in its role of promoting educational and cultural relations between the two countries. Since the British Council started its operations in Việt Nam in the early 1990s the arts programme has expanded steadily to include projects in all the major arts forms, with a particular focus on capacity building work with local arts organisations and training institutions such as the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO), the Việt Nam Opera-Ballet Theatre, Hà Nội University of Fine Art, Hà Nội University of Industrial Fine Art and Đồng Nai College of Decorative Arts. Recent projects include setting up training residencies for visiting British fashion design tutors from the London College of Fashion, and organising fashion shows to showcase the results of these training sessions, as well as the work of young recently-graduated designers in the UK. It also encourages co-operation and collaboration between teaching institutions in the fine arts, film, stage and theatre studies. Following successful collaborations involving the David Glass Ensemble, UK director Roger Chamberlain, Hồ Chí Minh City College of Stage Arts and Film and the Việt Nam Stage Artists’ Association, the British Council is now actively encouraging debate on the application of arts in development and promoting links between local and international practitioners and the NGO community, at both national and regional level. An early successful training project with Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) using orchestral trainer Colin Metters of the Royal Academy of Music in London has resulted in firm, long term links between the orchestra and both Colin and the British Council’s own Senior Arts Manager Graham Sutcliffe MBE, who works as resident conductor of the orchestra, in addition to his role with the British Council. A new project is now underway to explore the setting up of a Contemporary Dance Group in Việt Nam with the support of UK experts Fin Walker and Ben Park, working with dancers and musicians from the Việt Nam Opera Ballet Theatre. The British Council Việt Nam also makes regular contributions to locally-organised film festivals, including the biannual European Union Film Festival and the annual Việt Nam International Film Festival. The British Council Việt Nam’s future arts strategy is to encourage develop long-term relationships between artists and professionals, enabling arts practitioners to meet and exchange ideas and methodologies and develop strong links to arts educational institutions. It will support the establishment of networks and partnerships to engage in advocacy and debate about the arts and to support work in development and reform.