N.Z. AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 440, 28 November 1947, Page 20

N.Z. AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL

Permanent Resident Officer Appointed

WS that New Zealand is to have a permanent resident representative of the British ‘Council within the next month or two brings the Dominion ‘into line with Canada and Australia, who have had local representatives for some time. He is John Bostock, who was previously the Council’s representative in Turkey, and is now looking forward to breaking new ground in New Zealand. By now the work of the British Council should be known to most New Zealanders, since it was responsible for the recent visit ‘of the Boyd Neel Orchestra, for the British Rural Handicrafts exhibition (which is still here) and the Children’s Art exhibition, shown here in 1944. Although it was first formed in 1935 as a counterblast to Nazi and Fascist propaganda, and aimed at giving foreign countries a better knowledge of the British way of life, the Council during the past 12 years has greatly

expanded its activities to include the British Dominions and colonies, as well as foreign countries. Its actual annual expenditure of money (voted by Parliament) has risen during that time from £5,000 to £2,600,000. With New Zealand to be included, it appears now that South Africa alone, among British countries, will not be directly linked up in this world-wide network. Mr. Bostock’s duties in New Zealand will be to foster mutual cultural relations between the Dominion and the Homeland. He will be quite independent of any government body, and will make periodical reports direct to London as to what type of assistance will be best appreciated here. As well as this, he will act as liaison officer between local authorities and any future group of artists who should visit the country. Reports to London For instance, when members of the Old Vic Company come out next year, Mr. . Bostock will be able to make

arrangements for their tour, observe the degree of enthusiasm that they arouse, and then report to Sir Angus Gillan (Director of the Empire Division) what further steps should be taken in the dramatic line. Thus when Boyd Neel recently told the Press in England how his orchestra had been received here, he was in a way doing the kind of thing that will now fall on Mr. Bostock’s shoulders. In foreign countries one of the main tasks of Council representatives is to arrange for the teaching of English to the local inhabitants; for instance, in Turkey, where Mr. Bostock was previously stationed, over 10,000 people in 1944 were taught English, But here ‘more cultural matters will be the main ‘concern. Besides tours by groups of artists, arrangements will be made for distribution of publications such as Britain To-day, pamphlets on literature and scientific topics, films (especially documentaries), publicity material for the Press, and so on. Lecture tours by men distinguished in their ewn field may also be arranged, and radio broadcasts given. English professors and lecturers ‘may be lent to local universities, while scholars, mostly post-graduates studying scientific, technical and medical subjects, may be sent to the United Kingdom on British Council scholarships-some from New Zealand have already been sent. The Council has always stressed that it does not wish to force British culture or ideas on those who are unwilling to receive it. And the fact that it does not want to send out here anything for which there is not already a demand is one of the main reasons why it is essential to have a local representative who can feel the pulse, as it were, of the people, and decide just what the public wants. Although his offices will be in Wellington, Mr. Bostock will be in thé" nature of a contact man visiting different centres to gauge the amount of cultural uplift from England they require. . Since the development of mutual cultural relations is the Council’s aim, anything that will give the English public a better idea of the way New Zealanders look at life, and any examples of a definite New Zealand culture, may be sent to England in ‘reciprocation. As Sir Angus Gillan said recently, "the traffic has to flow both ways."