In early 2024, Miller Research was commissioned by the Welsh Government to evaluate Wales in France – one of the Government’s “Wales in…” cultural diplomacy seasons, designed to enhance Wales’s international visibility through culture, education, sport, trade, and political engagement. Running from March 2023 to March 2024, the season built on previous years in Germany and Canada, and freed from the constraints of the pandemic, offered the first opportunity to deliver a full programme of in-person activities. It sought to showcase a contemporary, inclusive Wales while deepening long-term partnerships across five priority themes: trade and investment, culture and heritage, youth mobility and education, international relationships, and sport.
Miller Research carried out a mixed-methods evaluation involving document review, development of a Theory of Change, stakeholder workshops and qualitative interviews with government officials, delivery partners, cultural organisations, businesses, educational institutions, and sports bodies. Fieldwork incorporated activity surrounding the Rugby World Cup, the Paris Air Show, UNESCO engagement and a wide range of cultural showcases and regional partnerships across cities including Nantes, Lyon, Marseille, and Lorient.
The evaluation found Wales in France to be a highly visible and symbolically important initiative that strengthened Wales’s profile overseas. Strategic ministerial visits, sports diplomacy and cultural programming helped open new channels with organisations such as UNESCO and the OECD, renewed long-standing ties with Brittany and accelerated emerging partnerships in areas such as marine renewables, food and drink, and education. The Cultural Fund was particularly effective in fostering new artistic collaborations and long-term capacity within the cultural sector. Early indicators also suggested meaningful economic benefits, with increased trade activity, new business leads and continued interest from French investors.
The evaluation concluded that Wales in France represented a significant advancement in the Welsh Government’s approach to cultural diplomacy. It demonstrated the value of sustained international engagement, the benefits of partnership-driven delivery, and the importance of balancing visibility with long-term relationship-building. It also highlighted areas for future development, including earlier planning cycles, clearer governance, stronger communications support, and more systematic data collection to enable robust monitoring of future programmes. The initiative set a strong precedent for subsequent “Wales in…” years and provided a clear demonstration of how coordinated cultural relations work can strengthen international ties and generate lasting benefits for Wales.