New Delhi: Sir Ciaran Devane, Chief Executive, British Council announced the launch of ‘2017 UK-India Year of Culture’ campaign in New Delhi last evening. On his maiden visit to India, he focused on the need to promote cultural exchange for stronger ties between India and the UK. He was joined by Mr. Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India.
The year 2017 marks the culmination of four years of Re-Imagine: a programme in the Arts designed to build new creative connections in new ways between the people and institutions of the UK and India. It offers a chance to celebrate the achievements of the world’s largest democracy, and consider how the future relationship between the UK and India might help both to address the challenges of the 21st century. The purpose of UK-India 2017 Year of Culture is to increase the appreciation of contemporary UK in India, and vice versa, in order to give greater focus, depth and relevance to the long-standing relationship between the two countries. This will be done through events and projects, both face-to-face and digital in 2017, with a wider aim to reach out to newer audiences, not restricted to the metropolitan cities alone. UK-India 2017 will seek to challenge outdated perceptions of the UK with an inspiring programme that demonstrates the quality of contemporary British arts and culture.
At the launch event yesterday, Sir Ciaran Devane, Chief Executive, British Council, said, “I am delighted to announce the launch of the ‘2017 UK-India Year of Culture’ campaign. The great partnership between India and the UK goes beyond economic partnerships. With a rich cultural heritage and some of the most iconic cultural exports to the world, both the nations have a reason to celebrate this cultural pairing and reiterate their positions as the cultural epicentres of the world. The new initiatives will further strengthen our ties and deepen our understanding of the past as well as help us appreciate the contemporary faces of both UK and India.”
The UK-India Year of Culture was announced during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to London in November 2015. The aim of this campaign is to highlight the vibrant cultural history of the two countries and celebrate the best ‘cultural exports’ together.
Mix the Play
‘Mix the Play’, a special edition of the popular ‘Mix the City’ platform (www.mixthecity.com), which will launch later this month to promote the Shakespeare Lives, was launched by Mr. Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India. This project is being commissioned with The Old Vic theatre, London. Where Mix the City placed visitors in the role of a DJ working with Kutiman’s music recordings, Mix the Play will offer digital audiences the chance to play director of one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Visitors to the Mix the Play website will be invited to make a short film from a scene in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The duration of a scene will be under 3 minutes. Using pre-recorded film samples and effects, locations, costume options, visitors will be able given a range of elements to control, including a selection or all of casting, setting, direction of the actors, background music etc. Audiences will need to consider meaning, symbolism, tone, and storytelling, and will learn through trying and doing.
The objective of Mix the Play is to engage audiences with Shakespeare and educate them about theatre direction in a fun way. In October, we will launch an Indian commission of Mix the Play with a different Shakespeare play.
At the launch of Mix the Play, Mr. Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India, said, “India and the UK have years of shared history and 2017 UK-India Year of Culture seeks to promote this spirit of cultural partnership. Our future generations must understand and appreciate our past and the path that we have travelled together to reach where we stand today. Mix the Play is another attempt to involve varied audiences with Shakespeare and educate them about theatre by involvement rather than isolation.”
British Council Art Collection
As part of the celebration, the British Council Art Collection featuring works of some of the greatest British artists was launched. The works on display cover various influences in British art. It starts with the iconic designs of 1920s London Underground posters, which brought avant-garde art movements to a mass audience. Moving into another decade, Eduardo Paolozzi brings audiences to the 1960s and the beginning of Pop art, which was further developed by Patrick Caulfield. The work of Tom Philips introduces process based art of the 1970s and Adrian Wiszniewski the ‘New Glasgow Boys’ of the 1980s. In the 1990s, David Hepher and Howard Hodgkin both, very differently, explored ideas of place combining figurative and abstract elements, a theme later visited by Hurvin Anderson. Photography is then touched upon with some rare colour works by Fay Godwin. In the 21st century, the works of Damien Hirst, Marc Quinn and Mark Wallinger represent the success of a generation of artists showcased in the Royal Academy’s Sensation exhibition, which introduced ‘Young British Artists’ to the world. To round-off the collection, the London 2012 Olympic posters will showcase work by some of the most contemporary and celebrated artists in Britain today.
British Council and 14-18 NOW join forces to commission Akram Khan
Next year India celebrates 70 years since independence. To mark this occasion, Prime Ministers Modi and Cameron announced a bilateral cultural year celebrating the special relationship between the UK and India. 2017 will see an incredible programme of cultural events and activities aimed at young people in India and the UK organised by the British Council. We believe that by experiencing the most innovative and exciting creative work from both countries and exploring our joint history, young people will want to know more about each other’s countries and build deeper connections. We are therefore particularly delighted to announce a special joint new commission by the world-renowned dancer choreographer Akram Khan. British Council and 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, have a series of further artistic commissions planned which will be announced later. This is the latest in a series of commissions by 14-18 NOW that reflect stories of the Indian experience of the First World War.
