Cristina Ward’s professional career in the cultural sector in Spain spans more than thirty years, dating back to her move from the UK to Madrid in the late 1980s after graduating in Spanish Language and Literature and Drama from the University of Bristol. She has worked for various public and private cultural organisations, including the consortium that organised Madrid’s European Capital of Culture programme in 1992, the Spanish National Youth Orchestra, the SGAE’s Autor Foundation and the Spanish Association of Symphony Orchestras. She has also worked as an independent producer on artistic and educational projects for various public and private organisations in Spain, Europe, China and Mexico. Cristina joined the Arts Department at the British Council Spain in 2013 and has been the department’s director since January 2023.