There's not much point in comparing Culture Ireland to large-scale international models of cultural diplomacy such as the Goethe-Institut or the British Council; the former has a worldwide annual budget in the order of 300 million, while the latter is engaged in Third World development projects as well as work in the arts, education and science. But how do smaller countries go about promoting themselves on the international scene?

The Netherlands

The Dutch have done it by choosing 13 priority countries for international cultural promotion, and professionalising the cultural attaché positions in their embassies there.

Sweden

Sweden has dedicated cultural attachés in London, Berlin, Moscow, Riga, Warsaw, Washington and New York as well as a cultural centre in Paris. The embassy posts are financed by the foreign ministry, but appointments are made from the cultural sector in consultation with the Swedish Institute. This body has a budget of 25 million - of which 50 per cent is committed to education services and scholarships - and operates a web portal for niche cultural information providers.

Finland

A network of independent Finnish Cultural Institutes receive funding from the Finnish government, with different institutes assigned to different government departments, including education, culture and foreign affairs. There are 13 official Finnish institutes, located in Europe, New York and Jerusalem. Finland also has specialised international arts agencies, including the Finnish Film Foundation and Frame (Finnish Fund for Art Exchange), which supports international exhibitions by Finnish artists.

Canada

The department of foreign affairs and international trade takes the lead at

federal level through its cultural diplomacy programme; the Canada Council for the

Arts also operates some international programmes. In Quebec, culture is placed alongside education and the economy as one of the three main pillars of government policy. This priority has helped to gain worldwide recognition for Quebecois performing artists, including Robert Lepage and Cirque du Soleil. A range of government bodies are involved in international arts promotion, including the Ministries of International Relations and Culture, the Arts Council, the Crafts Council and the Society for Cultural Enterprise Development.