UK- Year of Culture 2014

The UK Programme

“It is important to create opportunities and space for people to continue talking to one another, allowing them to explain what they want from each other. In this respect, cultural ties, and in particular Years of Culture, are a priceless tool allowing us, so to say, to keep the communication muscle toned.”

Mikhail Shvydkoy, the President’s Special Envoy for International Cultural Co-operation

Summary

1. The UK programme included 132 separate projects, involving a total of 178 UK and Russian institutions and partners.

2. This resulted in 343 events held in 13 cities. The majority (80%) were held in and St Petersburg.

3. The UK programme reached 12.35 million people, approximately 8.7% of the total population of Russia1, through live events, online and social media.

4. The programme sought to include both new work and fresh interpretations of the classics. The most popular among audiences included a programme of contemporary theatre and dance at the Chekhov Theatre Festival; exhibitions of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Aubrey Beardsley and Oscar Wilde; a multimedia exhibition, The Golden Age of Russian Avant-Garde, devised by Peter Greenaway; a programme of restored Hitchcock silent films from the BFI with new contemporary scores; the Barbican/Eon Productions exhibition Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style.

5. Media coverage obtained for the programme has been valued by an external agency2 at over £13 million.

6. It is estimated that it would have cost £6.592 million to deliver the UK programme at market rates.3 The bulk of the costs were met by host venues and sponsors of individual events, while the British Council provided £785,000 (12%) towards individual events using its grant in aid.

7. Despite the difficult economic and political conditions in 2014, the programme also raised £355,000 in private sector sponsorship.

8. The British Council was responsible for designing, developing and delivering the UK programme, and for brokering and managing key relationships at a time of political and economic uncertainty. Its team on the ground was sufficiently flexible to be able to make a distinction between the Year of Culture and the programme of events, between bilateral government relationships and people- to-people contact, and was able to refocus virtual and digital activity heavily towards social media. Martin Roth, Director of the V&A, described it as ‘a cultural emergency kit in a difficult situation.’

9. The United Kingdom has a clear interest in stimulating active collaboration with Russian artists, arts professionals and cultural, education and science policymakers, as well as promoting UK culture in Russia. This interest appears to have been well served throughout the Year, although economic conditions currently make it difficult to deliver some immediate collaborations.

10. However, there are specific and significant opportunities on the horizon including the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016, preparations for the FIFA World Cup in 2018, the demand for English throughout the Russian education system, and in scientific diplomacy. All of these will demand a joined-up approach by UK interests.

1 World Population Review 2015 2 Grayling Eurasia Ltd 3 In the case of an exhibition, for example, this would include costs such as venue hire, transportation, installation, design, marketing, insurance, customs fees.

1. Context & Background for developing new relationships and strengthening existing ones in all sectors and Russia has a famously strong science and across all parts of society. education base and very high artistic and cultural standards. The arts and the creative The Russian Embassy in London and the economy, higher education reform, Ministry of Foreign Affairs took on primary academic/industry links, scientific research, responsibility for Russian events in the UK. On and internationalisation through English are behalf of the UK government, the British issues of high importance for the country. All Council was nominated to lead on designing, of these offer clear opportunities for developing and delivering a comprehensive collaboration with the UK and have the programme of events and projects in Russia, potential to be a highly effective means of drawn from all four countries of the United influence. Kingdom and representing all art forms, the creative industries, education, science and In August 2012 the Russian Minister of language. Culture, Vladimir Medinsky, and his UK counterpart Ed Vaizey, met to discuss ways of While each festival or season the British building on the strong links between their two Council works on has unique characteristics, countries, which span over 500 years of to date there have been enough common cultural collaboration. This meeting also elements to permit standard systems and signalled a clear break with the atmosphere of processes to be developed in areas such as 2007-2008 when the British Council was governance, content development, funding required to close its regional offices in St and sponsorship, digital and offline Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. marcomms, and risk management and evaluation. The Russia programme benefitted The following March, the Minister of Foreign from many of these, particularly during the Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey initial planning process. Lavrov, and the UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, signed a Joint Statement designating At this early stage, the British Council and 2014 as the bilateral UK/Russia Year of British Embassy teams in Moscow Culture. collaborated strategically to define the Year of Culture’s overall ambition and targets; the scope and scale of events and projects; and the staffing and funding models, including income generation targets.

2. The UK’s Purpose and Aims

Countries can exert influence in a number of ways. The spectrum ranges from direct financial aid, through technical capacity building, cultural and educational exchange,

trade, and conventional diplomacy to The Year of Culture was envisaged as a unique sanctions and armed force. Cultural relations opportunity to celebrate the long tradition of – open, two-way, people-to-people cultural engagement between the two engagement - uses the UK’s most attractive countries and provide a high-profile platform assets - its language, education, culture and

creativity - to create opportunities for people for partners. At the heart of the around the world to work with people from British Council’s partnership ambition the UK. Critically, in the process cultural is the wish to create more impact for relations builds trust. the UK than its own resources allow, and wider recognition of the power of Using these assets, the UK’s principal aims for cultural relations to transform lives. the Year of Culture were:  The ‘springboard’ effect: to use the  Political: to enhance and develop Year of Culture to create further relationships with the Russian opportunities and a self-sustaining government and its agencies and network for UK cultural, educational create increased access to ministers and scientific institutions within and decision-makers. Russia and, potentially, the wider  English language: to develop trust Europe region. and understanding to encourage 3. Governance and Programme Management language schools to reopen across Russia, to develop a new network for Both countries established Organising teachers and students of English, and Committees to provide high-level guidance to become the recognised authority in and endorsement of plans for the Year of the field of English teaching. 70 Culture. In a decree signed in April 2013, percent of visitors to the British President Putin appointed Deputy Prime Council Russia’s website look at Minister Olga Golodets as the Russian Co- English education articles and Chair, while her coordinator was to be Mikhail information, demonstrating the latent Shvydkoy, the President’s Special Envoy for appetite for these resources which International Cultural Co-operation. The Lord could be built upon for further Speaker, Baroness D'Souza, was named as the engagement. UK’s Co-Chair, with Sir Martin Davidson, Chief  Education: to encourage young Executive of the British Council, as Mikhail Russians to consider studying in the Shvydkoy's counterpart. UK, by offering them new ways to A Programme Board was formed to guide the engage with and gain access to UK’s programme in Russia, featuring senior information about specific education representation from government, the arts, institutions and the broader UK education, science, the private sector and all system. four countries of the UK, and chaired by Paul  Arts: to encourage more audiences to de Quincey, Director of the British Council in engage with British arts and culture Russia. Its role was to provide overall through digital channels. While visual direction on the content, funding, resourcing and performing arts make up a and management of the Year of Culture. significant part of the British Council’s work, only 6% of its web audience in This structure was supported at executive Russia was searching for arts-related level by a Working Group with representation information before the Year of from key stakeholders, and chaired by the Culture. Executive Director of the Year of Culture,  Partners & sponsors: to demonstrate Leigh Gibson. Both groups were to play a key a quantifiable return on investment role in keeping the UK programme on track,

and in keeping the range of partners and An important aim, therefore, was to focus on relevant government departments informed the collaborative nature of the relationship using specific presentations and briefings. through a number of projects involving both Russian and British participants. This principle 4. The programme was emphasised from the outset by a joint From the outset, the UK’s vision was to procurement process held in both countries position the Year of Culture not as a solitary for a single visual identity and logo for the event but as the beginning of a new Year of Culture in Russia and the UK. relationship with Russia and a springboard for The UK planned to concentrate its programme future collaboration and opportunities: an in Moscow, St Petersburg and Ekaterinburg opportunity for British artists and cultural and with a much smaller number of events in educational institutions to develop their other major regional centres, with the aim of network and presence in the region. The building profile with and participation by intention was that this would also encourage decision-makers and influencers. renewed support and engagement for the The final programme of events covered 13 British Council in Russia, which in 2008 had cities: Moscow, St Petersburg, Tyumen, been required to close its offices in St Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Voronezh, Petersburg and Yekaterinburg and to cease Kazan, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Pskov, carrying out English-language examinations in Sochi, Syktyvkar and Yaroslav. Russia.

The British Council maintained a strong curatorial approach. To participate in the UK

programme, projects needed to have in place Logo and visual identity a confirmed Russian partner or sponsor and to The logo and visual identity for the Year of have conducted a comprehensive costing. In Culture were designed by the Moscow agency addition, it was crucial for the event to be IMA-Press and the London design studio Praline. evidently an appropriate and high-quality The two organisations were chosen following a reflection of UK culture. limited competition organised by the British Council and the Federal Agency for Press & Mass A joint announcement of both countries’ Communications (Rospechat). The judging panel programmes was held at the Science Museum included Vasily Tseretelli, Director of the Moscow in London in November 2013. Museum of Modern Art, John Newbigin, Chair of Creative England, and Michael Kudashkin, 5. Funding Executive Director of Leo Burnett Moscow. Funding for the UK programme was to come The decision to ask an agency from each country from a range of sources. These included to work in partnership in this way symbolised the Russian ministries and organisations; festivals core concept of the Year of Culture: cultural collaboration, sharing of international experience and venues; ticket sales; the British Council’s and the successful implementation of joint own operational budget for Russia; and projects between the two countries. private sector sponsorship.

Praline and IMA created an identity which The team initially aimed to raise consists of a lively pattern of geometric shapes approximately £1million in sponsorship, using extracted from the UK and Russian flags. The logo the Founder Sponsor model that had worked mark is made of the core elements of the brand successfully in China for the UK Now Festival and the logotype is a custom typeface in Roman in 2012. The focus was to be on recruiting and Cyrillic. The visual identity was designed to be four or five large UK-based companies adaptable for a wide range of formats and applications, from the facades of major museums currently active in the Russian market – to smartphone screens. including oil companies, law firms and consultancy practices. “For this Year we have decided to focus on getting young audiences interested in the By January 2014, however, the Programme project,” said Vladimir Grigoriev, Deputy Head of Board noted: “The economic outlook in Russia Rospechat, “and therefore we have created an is not good and sponsorship is increasingly appropriate logo which radiates energy. We can difficult. The situation has been made worse admit that even before the official start of the by severe cuts to the budgets of many of our Year of Culture we already have some great results and achievements – such as this key Russian partners imposed by the Ministry collaboration between two creative agencies of of Culture. Partners such as the Chekhov the two countries.” Festival and Multi-Media Art Museum of Moscow (venue for the Bond exhibition) are now competing even harder for sponsorship and asking us for cash contributions to allow major events to go ahead.”

BP became a Founder Sponsor early on and cancelled or truncated contracts. From April discussions with a number of other onwards, work required from external companies, including British Airways and suppliers was commissioned and funded only HSBC, were at an advanced stage when as necessary. events in Crimea and Ukraine forced them to withdraw. 6. Marketing & communications

Alongside the Founder Sponsor negotiations, The British Council developed a dedicated the team in Moscow aimed to recruit smaller- website and an extensive programme of digital activity was developed to publicise and scale event sponsors, as well as working to secure in-kind support from suppliers with the enhance the programme of activity in Russia aim of reducing event costs where possible. and allow participation across the entire Ultimately, a total of £355,000 in private- sector sponsorship was raised for the UK programme.

In response to the funding environment, by early April 2014 the British Council had The impact on sponsors reconfigured the programme on a worst-case scenario. This provided project managers with ‘To have had exposure in the UK the certainly they needed to confirm agreed and Russia as a Founder Sponsor funding with partners. The organisation also would have been the most positive drew up reserve lists of projects to be funded outcome. Events with BP branding; as and when money became available. able to engage BP employees and Additional funds were made available by the key stakeholders in the UK; activity British Council, as well as the Scottish throughout the Year with brand Government which ensured the production of alignment in the UK, which due to Dunsinane by National Theatre of Scotland to the cancellation of some events go ahead as a highlight of the Chekhov did not happen; connection with Festival. key audiences in the UK. These expectations couldn’t be met By the end of 2014, the British Council had because of the political situation. provided £785,000 towards individual events The British Council did everything through its grant in aid – in the majority of they could to ensure that we were cases to bridge funding gaps or to provide more engaged in Russia. They were wrap-around educational programmes. extremely helpful, tweaked the programme and tried to From March 2014 onwards, the British Council accommodate our needs as far as revised its strategy in order to secure possible.’ maximum coverage of and profile for the programme of projects and events and for its Des Violaris, Director of UK Arts & key stakeholders, particularly BP. It had Culture, BP planned for contracts for PR support from April 2014, and for the further development of the website to be staged, and was therefore able to avoid financial liability for

country. Its team worked with the Federal Agency for Press & Mass Communications to develop media and digital partnerships, and FutureEverything Moscow: the website carried information about the Tools for Unknown Futures Russian programme in the UK. For almost 20 years, Manchester- The media strategy was to be both UK and based FutureEverything has been Russia facing. It would demonstrate the UK’s exploring the meeting point of commitment to a long-term partnership with technology, society and culture which Russia; deliver the message that the UK is a lies at the heart of the digital debate. world leader in innovation and creativity and Pioneering the practice of city-wide promote UK trade and inward investment; ‘festival as laboratory’, it combines a large scale cultural event - art, music help promote British culture and the creative and discussion – with new technology, economy; showcase the best of British culture novel research methods and playful through world-class institutions, companies social experiments. It has been named and artists; and help to create visibility and by The Guardian as one of the top ten access to new markets for partners and ideas festivals in the world. sponsors. Its Moscow festival comprised a full By the end of the year it was calculated that day conference for 500 people, with a the programme had reached close to 1 million wraparound educational programme, people through face-to-face encounters and a 48-hour hackathon, three art visits to exhibitions, festivals and installations and three electronic music concerts. performances, and a further 11.4 million through social media, publication and Its thematic focus, “Tools for Unknown broadcast means. Futures”, showcased profoundly engaging experiences of the future 7. The Operating Environment that go beyond shiny forms of corporate communication, and Political technical reports and presentations, Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in and offer a whole new level of engagement focused on people and March 2014 and military intervention in east practice. It incorporated design fiction, Ukraine, the British Council was clear about its maker culture, DIY citizenship, new own intentions on behalf of the UK: “When materials, open data and cross- sector political or diplomatic relations become collaboration. difficult we believe that cultural exchange helps to maintain open dialogue between people and institutions. Therefore, wherever possible, we would like the exhibitions, shows and performances in Russia to continue.”

“We remain committed to the development of long-term people-to-people links with

Russia as we do in over 100 other countries and so we will continue to deliver or support

UK cultural and educational projects and continue talking to one another, allowing events in Russia.” them to explain what they want from each other. In this respect, cultural ties, and in As Tom Higham, Executive Director of the particular Years of Culture, are a priceless tool Innovation lab Future Everything noted, “The allowing us, so to say, to keep the biggest achievements of the Year as a whole communication muscle toned.” are that it went ahead and delivered such a scale of events, providing opportunities for At the same time, however, a new Russian creative people to work together cultural policy, signed by President Putin on ininternational contexts; and that it went 24 December 2014, equates liberal values as ahead without being appropriated as a an enemy's political tool. This rejects “the political event. In a way it rose above that – principles of tolerance and multiculturalism” this is a real victory as it could have been used and quotes President Putin’s condemnation of for political purposes. To manage that in European multicuturalism as “neutered and difficult circumstances is something that barren”. Underscoring the importance of shouldn’t be underestimated.” Russia’s “traditional values”, it cautions against culture and art which diverges from In an interview in April 2015, Ambassador those values, noting that “no experiments Mikhail Shvydkoy said: “Read any history with form can justify the substance that contradicts the values traditional for our society.”

Cultural

It is clear from comments made by some of those involved in the UK programme that there is serious interest in reaching out to the

UK through cultural means. book, even if it's only a school book, and you Unrivalled Wedgewood, an exhibition from will see that times change, and relationships the collection of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, between countries change too. The Liverpool, was shown at the All-Russian relationship between Russia and the UK has Museum of Decorative Art at the end of 2014. gone through all sorts of phases. We were This was the first ever exhibition of allies in the war against Napoleon and in Wedgewood in Russia. It included items from World War I, and together we defeated Fascism in World War II. On the other hand, we've been through periods of disagreements and clashes of interests.”

“In my opinion, it is key that during such difficult periods we keep communicating, that we carry on listening to and hearing each other and that we keep the relationship alive – and this doesn’t just apply to the UK-Russia relationship. It is important to create opportunities and space for people to

museums such as the Hermitage and Peterhof that despite the tragic fire (at the School in as well as from private collections, and was May 2014) the exhibition was still able to go supported by an extensive educational ahead in October and was hugely successful. programme. The organisers were able to approach other museums to help out at very short notice: not “We believe our project evoked and something that always happens. The deepened interest in British art and culture exhibition catalogue was excellent, very well and our mutual cultural history in the wider designed. Having never been to Russia before, audience, including young people, art-lovers there is clearly a rich potential to be tapped and members of the business community” into. Hardly known about in the West said the curator, Galina Andreeva. “In the perhaps, links with Russian university current complex and ambivalent political museums and art schools would be an situation our exhibition once more proved the obvious one – a double benefit of culture and idea that cultural communication is the most education all in one.” The Macintosh efficient way of improving and strengthening exhibition at the Kremlin Museums attracted international communication, mutual over 275,000 visitors. understanding and sustainable development of the world society and civilization.” Science and academia

At the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Nor is this interest in collaboration confined which hosted exhibitions on William Hogarth, to the arts and culture sector. After years of British design and Oscar Wilde & Aubrey underfunding, stagnation and the ‘brain drain’ Beardsley, curator Dr Irina Zakharova echoed of the 1990s, Russia has big ambitions to get these views. ‘The events gave Russian back on the scientific grid, and has prioritised audiences an opportunity to learn more about chemistry as one of the nine key fields that British painting, design, literature, decorative are crucial to its national interest. and applied arts – in other words, to improve It has a strong entrepreneurial and innovative Russians’ understanding of rich British traditions. I wish that these intense exhibition culture that focuses on commercialising activities were not just limited to the Year of research, and the Russian government has provided large amounts of funding for Culture but could continue on a regular basis.’ universities and is encouraging scientists to The value is reciprocal. Peter Trowles (below), share their work and collaborate Mackintosh Curator at Glasgow School of Art: internationally. The Royal Society of “The biggest achievement of our project was Chemistry recognised this as an opportunity to become a leading partner in shaping future developments across Russia’s chemistry community, and has begun building relationships with universities, companies and the public sector.

In October 2014 they ran an entire week of chemistry-related activities in Moscow, focusing on four themes with specific appeal to Russian audiences: industry, publishing, cheminformatics and education, with a range

of different discussion sessions, open forums security of both the UK and Russia. The trust and presentations to bring together both countries are able to build through academics, industrialists and others working partnerships in culture, education, science in the chemical sciences. In addition there was and language increases the likelihood that a two-day programme of lectures and Russians will look to their UK counterparts as workshops at the Garage Museum of potential partners rather than competitors. In Contemporary Art, showcasing the connection the medium to long-term, Russia’s economy between chemistry and art, including a public offers significant opportunities for UK lecture by National Gallery scientist David businesses across all sectors. Peggie. There is already substantial demand in Russia for what the UK has to offer – particularly in relation to the English language. English is a pre-requisite for a generation of young Russians who wish to engage internationally, and a good knowledge of English will become a formal requirement of entry to Russian universities from 2020. At the same time, the UK is still a favoured destination for education with more than 5,000 Russian students in our education system.

Meanwhile, as Russian cultural institutions The workshops on academic writing and become more international in their scientific publishing, supported by Shell, programming, there is a growing demand for included training both for authors and cultural leadership and management training publishers on how to write and edit papers and for more public access to world-class and on how to publish journals and administer exhibitions and events. The UK’s creative the peer review process. Capacity-building economy sector can help nurture the next activities of this kind are highly popular with generation of Russian cultural leaders and the Russian scientific community: there is a creative entrepreneurs and connect them clear imperative from the Ministry of with the UK market. Education and Science to increase the number and quality of Russian scientific articles in New collaborations are difficult for Russian international peer-reviewed journals. arts organisations to follow up in the immediate aftermath of 2014, principally 8. Next steps because of the economic situation. However, Research has found that Russian people and 2016 has been suggested as a bilateral Russia- organisations are substantially more likely to UK Year of Language and Literature and this trust and consider visiting, doing business presents a clear opportunity to exploit and with or studying in the UK as a result of extend the public engagement impact of sustained cultural exchange.4 Trust underpins 2014, particularly given the continuing both trade and international co-operation, funding challenges. At the same time, this will and is therefore crucial to the prosperity and support the broader strategies of UKTI and Visit Britain, who are seeking to support the

4 UK brand and counter unhelpful messaging in Culture Means Business. British Council, 2013

the media. It also has the potential to bring Opportunities will include a collaboration cultural, educational and trade interests between Russian and UK theatre partners on together under a broad umbrella, as a the creation of a new, innovatively-staged partnership between the British Council, UKTI, event which could be streamed online to the the British Embassy and Visit Britain. As an Russian regions; seminars on new translations integral part of this proposal, the British of Shakespeare, exploring opportunities for Council in Russia has prepared an ambitious publication; readings in public parks and plan to celebrate the 400th anniversary of libraries; English language and literature Shakespeare’s death in 2016, cutting across education packs for schools, distributed its work in arts, English language and online; and branding the Moscow metro with education. Shakespeare is revered in Russia Shakespearean images and readings, reaching and considered as central to Russian arts and a huge audience in the capital. culture as Tolstoy, Chekhov or Dostoevsky. This presents a unique set of opportunities to In the field of English language, UKTI has identified opportunities for language training engage with a wide range of people through face-to-face, online and broadcast events; to and assessment in support of preparations for address Russian as well as UK agendas; and to the FIFA World Cup 2018, notably in Saransk, where a tender will soon be released for focus on the regions of Russia beyond the main centres of Moscow and St Petersburg. trainer-training and assessment for a broader group of 5,500 ancillary workers and

volunteers. There are likely to be further universities across Russia in 2016, working opportunities in the ready-made network of closely with the Ministry of Education and other host cities on similar lines. English Science. language is a vital component of the hosting There are other clear opportunities for the of a global event of this scale. UK’s science and education communities to In science diplomacy, partner-sponsored explore with Russian partner institutions, academic writing workshops have been run building on successes in basic scientific successfully in several top universities over research to develop a larger-scale research the last three years. This supports the Russian programme that achieves national credibility ‘5-100’ project, a Presidential aspiration for and reach. Stressing the long history and the five leading Russian universities to be ranked importance of scientific diplomacy between within the top 100 global institutions. English Russia and the rest of the world, Professor Sir language is also critical to this aspiration, of the Royal Society has said supporting both teaching and research. There that “at a time of political difficulties one are strong opportunities to extend this project should maintain scientific links. There are further and build deep levels of people-to- numerous acute problems in the world – people engagement while building capacity in famine, clean water, food security … and the higher education sector through the Year scientists can solve those when they are of Language and Literature. The British working together.” Council hopes to run workshops in 12 top

“The Year was very human – it wasn’t there for the sake of ticking boxes.”

Vera Zabotkina, Vice-Rector, Russian State University for the Humanities

______

Some programme highlights

Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style

This unique exhibition from Eon Productions and the Barbican marked the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, and told the story of the design and style of the world’s most influential and iconic movie brand. The multi-sensory exhibition included everything from tailoring and costumes, set and production design, cars and gadgets, and much more. The exhibition at the Multimedia Arts Museum, Moscow, was accompanied by an education programme of design and fashion workshops and film screenings.

The Chekhov International Festival and the British Council are long-standing partners. In May, June and November 2014 the Festival presented a mixed bill of drama and dance from some of the finest UK companies. This included a co-production by National Theatre of Scotland/RSC; Scottish Ballet, featuring Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling amongst other contemporary dance pieces; Sadler’s Wells’ new piece by leading choreographer Russell Maliphant; new work by the award-winning dance-theatre company Gecko; and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, visiting Russia for the first time with two productions from their hit 2013 season, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The 34- show programme was sold out, attracting an audience of 43,000 people in 6 cities.

Irina Trostnikova of the Chekhov Theatre Festival said: “It was the first time the Globe had been and this was a huge success, which we will repeat. We now have concrete plans with Sadlers Wells for a new production in 2015. We also have plans to bring UK theatre companies in 2017. The Scottish Ballet were in Russia 22 years ago and presented a strong programme – people would love to see them again. Without the British Council we couldn’t do this. They were an immense support, we understand their possibilities and that they can’t provide full financial support. Nothing could have been done better. The fact this huge programme happened in Russia is amazing. So many audiences in Moscow and beyond now have an impression of UK theatre. One of the biggest achievements is relations between people – something that cannot be done by governments, when people start working together they understand each other much better, which is a key aim of theatre and the arts in general.”

The Hitchcock 9 Film Festival

A sell-out programme of early Hitchcock films from the BFI attracted an audience in Russia of 15,000. Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive of the BFI, has said of the international impact of the programme: “In terms of demonstrating the strength of achieving national profile and seeding new economic opportunity through cultural diplomacy, the Hitchcock silent films, combined with new contemporary scores, have demonstrably been a wild success and one I hope very much we can build further on in the years ahead.” Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive, BFI

Oscar Wilde. Aubrey Beardsley. A Russian Perspective

This exhibition at the Pushkin Museum embodied a unique blend of British and Russian cultures. Over 150 pieces were on display, including drawings by Beardsley and his series of prints for Wilde’s Salome, but also including works by Russian Beardsley followers and admirers, and Russian and British art magazines with pieces by Beardsley, Wilde and their followers.

Wilde and Beardsley’s aesthetics were a major influence on the formation of the style and concept of the Mir Iskusstva (World of Art) movement in St. Petersburg in the 1890s, and the two artists reached their peak of popularity in Moscow in the early 1900s. At the time, Scorpion and Grif publishing houses were printing Wilde’s major works, along with those of Russian decadent poets, and Scorpion and the Vesy literary magazine played an important role in the development of Moscow’s artistic community, inspiring artists such as Konstantin Somov, Leon Bakst, Nikolay Feofilaktov, Sergei Lodygin and Dmitriy Mitrokhin.

Northern Ireland Opera’s acclaimed production of Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, performed at Novaya Opera, Moscow.

Appendix A: Partners

7th Imperial Gardens of Russia Festival Glasgow Museums Academy of In-service teacher training APKiPPRO Glasgow School of Art 42 ACT Publishing House Golden Bee Biennale of Graphic Design Ahmad Tea Golden Mask Akram Khan Company Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas Aleksandrinsky Theatre, St Petersburg Hermitage All-Russian Decorative and Applied Arts Museum Hermitage Music Festival Apartment House music band Hermitage Theatre Art Park Muzeon Higher School of Economics, Nizhny Novgorod Artangel Institute of Automation, Novosibirsk ArtNewspaper Russia Institute of Numerical Mathematics, Moscow Artplay Intermuseum conference Aston University Interview Russia Barbican ION BBC King Midas sound Beat Film Festival Krasnoyarsk Book Fair Beefeater Laboratoria Art & Science Space BFI Lady Lever Art Gallery Billy Cowie Lendoc BKC-IH Lenfilm Studio Bolshoi Theatre Lenin's Library BP Lenta.ru Brand Farm Agency Liz Aggiss British Higher School of Design London College of Fashion Calvert Forum London Fashion Week Calvert Journal London Philarmonic Orchestra Cambridge English Language Assessment London Sinfonietta Cambridge University Press Manege, Moscow Centre for Documentary Films Mariinskiy theatre Centre for Fine Print Research, UK Marriott 181 Chekhov International Theatre Festival Mayakovsky Theatre Coolconnections art association MDM Theatre, Moscow Courtauld Institute MEDIA D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology Megapolis FM Darwin State Museum Message to Man Film Festival Documentary Film Centre Fund Dom Kino, Moscow Moscow Book Festival Dyagilev PS Festival Moscow Conservatoire Edinburgh International Festival Moscow Design Week Elephant Moscow Documentary Film Centre Etagi loft-project Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology EUNIC Moscow Kremlin Museums FutureEverything Moscow Kremlin Museums Garage Museum of Contemporary Art Moscow Pedagogical State University Gecko Moscow Philarmonic

Moscow State Conservatory P. Tchaikovsky Russell Maliphant Company Moscow State Linguistic University, Moscow Russian Geographical Society Russian Geographical Society, Moscow Moscow Times Russian Museum, St Petersburg Mossovet Theatre Russian publishing house Paulsen Multimedia Art Museum Russian State Library Museum of Moscow Russian State University for the Humanities Muzeon Sadler's Wells Theatre National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Moscow Science Museum National Museums of Liverpool Scottish Ballet National Theatre of Scotland Severstal National University of Mineral Resources Shakespeare's Globe Theatre NESTA Shell Night of New Media Sheremetev Palace, St Petersburg NII Communications, Moscow SHOWstudio.com Non-Fiction Book Fair Snob Project Northern Ireland Opera Sochi Cultural Olympiad Novaya Opera Solyanka club OpenLook Festival Southampton University Opera and Ballet Theatre, Ekaterinburg St Petersburg State University Opera and Ballet Theatre, Kazan St. Anna festival Opera and Ballet Theatre, Voronezh Stage Entertainment Russia State Russian Museum Peterhof Museum, St Petersburg Stopgap Dance Company Philharmonia, Tyumen Strastnoy Theatre Centre Photographers Gallery, London Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design Plaid Sverdlovsk drama theatre, Ekaterinburg Platforma Swansea University Plums Fest Syktyvkar Komi Videoprokat Potanin Foundation Tallis Scholars Power House club Tate Gallery Private Collection Gallery Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow Pskov Pushkin drama theatre Territoria Festival, Moscow Pushkin Museum Theatre of Drama, Yaroslavl Pyotr Fomenko Theatre Tretyakov Gallery Questa Musica UKTI Rizzordi Art Foundation, St.Petersburg VGTRK media house ROBOFORUM Victoria & Albert Museum Rostropovich Festival VideoFocus festival Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester Wayne McGregor | Random Dance Royal Opera House Wedgwood Museum Royal Shakespeare Company Winter Theatre Royal Society Zimny Theatre, Sochi Royal Society of Chemistry

Appendix B

Russian Organising Committee

O.Y. Golodets, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation (chairman) V.R. Medinsky, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation (deputy chairman) M.Y. Shvydkoy, Special Envoy of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation (organizing committee coordinator) I.A. Antonova, Director, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts A.K. Volin, Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Media V.A. Gergiev, Artistic Director and Director-General of the Mariinsky Theatre T.N. Golendeyeva, State Secretary and Deputy Head of the Federal Customs Service V.V. Grigoryev, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, Rospechat V.A. Dmitriyev, Chairman of the Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank) V.V. Duda, Director of the Department of Information Policy and International Relations, Ministry of Culture T.G. Iksanov, Director-General of the Bolshoi Theatre K.I. Kosachev, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo (Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation) V.A. Nikonov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation L.M. Pechatnikov, Deputy Mayor, City of Moscow M.B. Piotrovsky, Director-General of the State Hermitage Museum A.V. Torkunov, Chancellor of the Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations I.I. Fedyukin, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Y.N. Chavchavadze, Vice-President of the Russian Cultural Foundation A.O. Chubaryan, Director of the Institute of Universal History of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.A. Shalayev, Deputy Director of the Department of Budget Policy in Social Affairs and Science, Ministry of Finance S.L. Shumakov, Deputy Director-General, All-Russian State Television and Radio Company

UK Organising Committee

The Rt Hon. the Baroness D’Souza CMG, Lord Speaker (Chair) Sir Martin Davidson, Chief Executive, British Council (Co-ordinator) Professor Edward Acton, Vice-Chancellor, University of East Anglia Alex Beard, Chief Executive, Royal Opera House Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Harwell Oxford Space Cluster, Science and Technology Facilities Council Professor Monica Grady CBE, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences and Head, Department of Physical Sciences, Open University, President, The Meteoritical Society Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE, Director-General, BBC Dr Rosemary Kelly OBE, Chair of the British Council’s Northern Ireland Advisory Committee and Governor of the Irish Times Sir John Leighton, Director-General, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Rt Hon. David Lidington MP, Minister of State for Europe Sir Jonathan Mills, Director, Edinburgh International Festival Dr David Parker, Chief Executive, UK Space Agency Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff, Foreign Secretary and Vice-President, the Royal Society Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director and Lead Principal Dancer, English National Ballet Professor Martin Roth, Director, Victoria & Albert Museum Lord Rowe-Beddoe, President, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Life President, Wales Millennium Centre Sir Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill DL, Trustee, John Smith Memorial Trust and Trustee, Mariinsky Theatre Trust Rt Hon. Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Rt Hon. The Lord Wigley, Honorary President, Plaid Cymru Rt Hon. David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science