With the Soft Power Council in Wales, our Director, Ruth Cocks, explains what soft power is, why cultural diplomacy is important and why Wales should have more confidence in what we offer:
If you said to someone overseas, “Oh. Wot’s Occurring?”, the chances are they’d understand the phrase - and the cultural reference to the iconic Gavin and Stacey. That was exactly the case when, to my absolute delight, a Spanish friend uttered these words to me when we were living in Thailand.
Wales’ profile on the global stage has soared, thanks to its culture, music, education, and sport - all supported by the Welsh Government’s International Strategy. TV shows like Gavin and Stacey have introduced Nessa’s unmistakable Welsh humour to international audiences and turned our own lovely Barry Island into a global tourist hotspot.
Wales’ qualification for the Qatar World Cup in football in 2022 sparked national pride and international attention and we made footballing World Cup history when Ben Davies gave the first ever FIFA press conference in Welsh. Meanwhile, the "Wrexham Effect," boosted by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ownership, has turned the club into a symbol of grassroots football, further elevating Wales’ profile and attracting global attention.
As a growing creative industries hub, Wales is making waves with international hits like Doctor Who filmed across South Wales and Hinterland, sold to 100 countries worldwide and the first Welsh-language series streamed on Netflix, gaining a strong following. The latest Netflix action thriller Havoc, directed by Gareth Evans, was filmed entirely in Wales and made headlines recently for ‘putting Wales on the map’.
Beyond popular culture, Wales is a leader in issues of global interest. Our ground-breaking Well-being of Future Generations Act prompted the UN to state, ‘What Wales is doing today, the world will do tomorrow.’ We’ve offered a warm Welsh welcome to refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan as a Nation of Sanctuary. We are thought leaders in bilingual heritage and indigenous language preservation complemented by increasing international popularity of Welsh music, literature and festivals. With world-class universities - set amongst beautiful landscapes – excelling in research, innovation and subjects such as semiconductor technologies and medicine, Wales is also well-positioned to lead international partnerships in education and science.
These international connections bring significant, tangible economic and cultural benefits including but not limited to stimulating tourism, attracting global talent through research and international students, and expanding markets for Welsh businesses. They drive economic growth across multiple sectors and regions, while enhancing Wales’ opportunities, resilience, competitiveness, and influence on the global stage. For example, according to a recent London Economics report, education exports provided by Welsh Universities contributed £1.26 billion (11%) of the economic impact for of the Welsh HE Sector in 21-22.
So, it’s very fitting then, that today (Tuesday, 29 April), Wales hosts the UK Government’s newly formed Soft Power Council. Soft power refers to a country’s ability to influence through attraction - whether through values, culture or education - to make a positive impact on the world. This new body comprises of 26 members from across the spectrum of the UK’s soft power assets, chosen based on their expertise in their sectors, as well as the UK’s foreign policy priorities - growth, security, Europe, migration, climate and nature, and development. The members will act as ‘super-connectors’ aiming to showcase the best of the UK in areas like sport, education, culture, and tourism and includes representatives from the music industry, BBC, Football Association and British Council.
The Soft Power Council’s main goal is to boost economic growth, making sure that soft power brings real benefits to people across the UK. It will also look for ways to grow UK’s influence and reputation by building strong partnerships both at home and around the world. This in turn, plays a role in supporting the UK’s security and stability agenda. With rising tensions between superpowers such as Russia, China and the US, and post-Brexit challenges, it’s never been more important for the UK and for Wales to use soft power as a diplomatic tool.
The Soft Power Council represents all four of the UK Nations and so today is significant for Wales, not only to showcase the assets Wales has to offer internationally but to ensure our unique identity is accurately represented in the UK’s profile on the world stage and that soft power benefits can be brought back to Wales as well as the wider UK.
As Director of British Council Wales, I’m incredibly proud that our organisation has a prominent seat on this Soft Power Council and I’m excited to see what the discussion brings. Promoting Wales' soft power is central to our mission, showcasing the very best of Wales on the global stage. For over 80 years in Wales, we have worked across the education, arts and culture and language sectors connecting policymakers, universities, researchers, students, teachers, artists, cultural organisations, young people and communities with people and partners around the world.
We operate on-the-ground in over 100 countries, with a global presence and local network here in Wales that aims to strengthen the UK and indeed Wales’ reputation worldwide. Our network has supported Welsh Government, the higher and further education sectors, schools, artists and arts organisations in brokering new connections and market development. Through our work we aim to naturally break down barriers, create connections and improve trust between nations. Cultural relations foster a rich exchange of ideas, broadening perspectives and enhancing mutual understanding of each other which in turn, leads to a better ability to work and trade together.
Our cultural relations approach is multi-faceted - whether through fostering school partnerships between Wales and Ukraine, bringing internationally renowned artists like John Akomfrah to Wales, working with festivals such as Hay, Green Man and Focus Wales to support their international dimension, or offering young people international perspectives through our Cerdd Iaith languages programme and Mock UN COP debates.
We believe that Wales works best when Wales looks outwards.
For Wales, internationalism is not just an ideal - it’s a necessity. As a small nation in a post-Brexit world, we can’t afford to be inward-looking. We need to open minds, share learning and best practice between ourselves and other nations and equip our young people with the skills, knowledge and experience to work and engage internationally.
From culture to climate, Wales has the tools to shape global conversations, drive prosperity at home, and contribute to a more sustainable future. We can and should be more confident of the role Wales can play.
Hosting the Soft Power Council today reinforces Wales as a forward-thinking nation, ready to play its part in the world through culture, diplomacy, and values. It’s crucial that we harness this potential to its fullest.