Signing of the agreement by Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio and Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council.
KOHIMA, November 17 (MExN): The Government of Nagaland and the British Council on Monday renewed their partnership for the Hornbill Festival, formalising the United Kingdom’s role as a Country Partner for the 2025 edition scheduled from December 1 to 10.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Dr Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland, and Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council, in the presence of Lindy Cameron CB OBE, British High Commissioner to India, along with senior officials from both sides.
According to the announcement, the renewed partnership aims to strengthen cultural exchange, support creative talent, and enhance global visibility for Nagaland’s cultural heritage. The British Council, working closely with the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, will curate festival programming, continuing its involvement from previous years.
As part of this year’s collaboration, Scottish artist Ruairidh Maclean (RuMac) will perform at the festival on December 2. The organisers stated that the festival provides an opportunity for audiences to engage with contemporary UK music, while visiting musicians gain exposure to the region’s rich cultural traditions and build long-term creative networks.
Speaking at the signing, Rio said, “Nagaland is honoured to welcome the United Kingdom as our Country Partner for this year’s Hornbill Festival. This partnership reflects our shared values and a strong commitment to cultural exchange, collaboration, and people-to-people ties. The UK’s participation will enrich the festival and open new avenues for cooperation in culture, tourism, education, and enterprise. We look forward to welcoming our friends from the United Kingdom to the Land of Festivals.”
British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron stated, “The UK is proud to support the incredible Hornbill Festival once again as a Country Partner. The deep personal and cultural connections between the UK and India, our living bridge, is what makes this partnership so special. Welsh, Naga, and Khasi artists performed together at the festival’s silver jubilee last year. It is fantastic to be able to follow that up with Scottish music this year.”
Alison Barrett MBE added, “We are delighted to partner with the Government of Nagaland for Hornbill 2025. This collaboration will enable UK artists and experts to understand the remarkable diversity of India and continue engaging meaningfully with audiences in Nagaland, build sector dialogue in culture and education, and contribute to knowledge-sharing that strengthens creative and educational ecosystems.”
Ahead of his upcoming performance, Maclean said, “I’m thrilled to be performing at The Hornbill festival this year, in a part of the world I’ve never had the chance to visit before. I’m looking forward to experiencing the cultural showcase in Nagaland and bringing a little bit of The Highlands of Scotland along with me, hopefully you’ll like what I do! Slàinte!”
The Government of Nagaland and the British Council said they look forward to delivering a memorable Hornbill Festival 2025 and expanding long-term cultural and educational cooperation.
