The Cultural Institute of Brittany

Skol Uhel Ar Vro – Institut Culturel de Bretagne

The Cultural Institute of Brittany (ICB) is an association created under the French law of 1 July 1901 and has as members 125 individual members and 12 legal persons or associations. Born out of the Breton Cultural Charter proposed by the State in 1977, the Cultural Institute of Bretagne has been developing and disseminating Breton culture since 1981 and is seated in Vannes.

The last forty years have been devoted to the study, dissemination and promotion of Breton culture for all and in all its forms, positioning the Institute at the very heart of cultural life in Brittany. The Institute works for the research, promotion, publishing and distribution of materials related to Brittany or the Breton Culture. It also works for its two autochtonous languages Breton and Gallo.

The aims of the institute include studying and informing the general public through its various thematic research sections, organising cultural and popular events such as symposia, conferences and exhibitions, publishing and distributing works related to its themes, supporting initiatives to promote Breton culture and identity, and honouring personalities who have worked for Brittany. The ICB also manages the Hermine media library, which is open to the general public in Vannes and contains over 7,000 books in Breton and French.

The main themes on which the members of the ICB carry out research and exchange ideas are: history, nature and people, literature and oral expression, language and linguistics, written literature, art and architecture, music and dance, sports and games, religion, youth and education, economy and culture, rights and institutions. Inter-Celtic relations are also at the heart of the discussions.