THE BRITISH COUNCIL
PROGRAMME
FOR LONDON 2012
www.britishcouncil.org/london2012
The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 1
‘Most of us will remember
the moment London was
declared the host city for
2012. For me the most
striking image was the sight
of jubilant young people
amongst the official UK
delegation celebrating with
David Beckham, Lord Coe
and Princess Anne.’
Cover image © II Foundation/2012/Rebecca Hearfield
The international arts collaborations will
continue to thrive well after the last national
anthem is played in the stadium and the
connections made between young people
around the world through educational
programmes associated with the Games
will endure for many years to come. Our
flagship project International Inspiration,
the official sport legacy programme, has
become the benchmark for future Olympic
hosts who have ambitions to inspire young
people through the power of sport.
The inspiring London 2012 promotional film
shown in Singapore to support the UK’s bid
broke the mould. There were no shots of
London’s iconic sites. Instead there were
moving evocations of how sport and the
Olympic values have the power to inspire
young people all over the world to strive
for excellence.
Putting young people at the heart of the
Games was not the only promise we made.
The bid team made a compelling case
for reinvigorating the Cultural Olympiad
alongside the sporting competitions
to celebrate artistic excellence and
achievement in a truly international and
inclusive way and undertook to create a
lasting legacy beyond infrastructure and
sporting projects.
With the Games fast approaching it is clear
that the UK has been as good as its word.
Educational initiatives have been successful
in reaching out to young people around
the globe and enhancing understanding
and respect for each others’ cultures.
The Cultural Olympiad has been a great
success already and will culminate in the
London 2012 Festival, the biggest arts
festival the world has ever seen.
The British Council is proud to be playing
a key role, proud to be helping to deliver
the promises made in 2005.
Paul Docherty
Director UK 2012
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The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 3
Big Dance 2012
Left to right: Paul Docherty, Director UK 2012, British Council; Ruth MacKenzie, Director Cultural Olympiad;
Jacqueline Rose, Director Big Dance; Helena Gasparian, Head of the Cultural Section, Embassy of Brazil © Big Dance
Big Dance 2012 celebrates the diversity
of dance styles across the country and the
world. The programme takes place from
7 – 15 July and features an array of events,
including The Big Street Dance Day on
14 July, which will see people dancing in
public spaces all over the UK.
dance inspired by the London 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games. Schools from 53
countries representing over half a million
children signed up for the Schools Pledge.
Choreographed by Wayne McGregor, it was
a record breaking attempt for the largest
multi-location, simultaneous dance routine.
Created by Wayne McGregor, in partnership
with dance groups, choreographers and
emerging and professional dancers, a new
piece for 2,000 dancers is being premiered
on 14 July in the stunning location of
Trafalgar Square. Working closely with
Big Dance and a range of partners in
China and Brazil, the British Council is
using this opportunity to link Olympic
Games past, present and future. Events
in Rio and Beijing, taking place on 7 July,
will be filmed for presentation on large
screens in Trafalgar Square on 14 July.
Big Dance is the world’s largest dance
programme. Founded in 2006 by the Mayor
of London in partnership with Arts Council
England, Big Dance is London’s Legacy
Trust UK programme.
The British Council has also promoted Big
Dance across the world through the Big
Dance Schools pledge, which took place
on 18 May, the day the Olympic Torch
arrived in the UK. The Big Dance Schools
Pledge offered a great opportunity for
young people of all ages to learn a new
For more information please visit
www.bigdance2012.com
www.festival.london2012.com
‘The vision, when London won
the Games in 2005, was to
reach young people all around
the world and connect them
with the inspirational power of
the Games. The British Council
is delighted to work with
Big Dance to help achieve
this vision through dance.
We have seen across the world
the enormous appeal of Big
Dance through our Connecting
Classrooms programme.
The Big Dance School Pledge
on 18 May reached over
half a million schoolchildren
in 53 countries. This is an
extraordinary testament
to the global appeal of the
Big Dance idea.’
Paul Docherty
May 2012
The Big Dance in Athens © British Council
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BT RIVER of music
Black Arm Band © Chris Dew
The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 5
‘Thanks so much to the
British Council for the vital
part they have played in
bringing musicians from round
the world to the BT River of
Music, just one of many of the
great London 2012 Festival
projects they have helped to
make possible.’
Ruth Mackenzie
Director, Cultural Olympiad
and London 2012 Festival
9Bach © Dewi Glyn Jones
BT River of Music will welcome the world to
London with a spectacular weekend of free music
from across the 204 Olympic and Paralympic
nations, presented at iconic sites along the River
Thames on 21 and 22 July 2012. BT River of Music
is supported by National Lottery Funds through
the Olympic Lottery Distributor and Arts Council
England, and is produced by Serious.
The international collaborations supported by
the British Council represent all five continents
and have been created from projects developed
around the world.
Mamiath/Mother Tongue
OCEANIC STAGE
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Saturday 21 July 2012
Mamiath – Mother Tongue, is a new project
that sees Australian Indigenous arts
collective Black Arm Band collaborating
with alternative Welsh folk roots group,
9Bach. They share a common experience
exploring music connections and the
preservation of language and culture
through music and song.
Produced by the British Council
and Black Arm Band.
For more information please visit
www.btriverofmusic.com
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BT RIVER of music
King Sunny Ade © The King Sunny Ade Organisation
In Transit
ASIA STAGE
Battersea Park
Sunday 22 July 2012
Mario Galeano © Brian Cross
UK dance outfit and cross-cultural
globetrotters, Transglobal Underground
lead a new collaboration with standout
musicians representing UAE, Qatar, Kuwait,
Oman, Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Matthew Herbert © Socrates Mitsios
Confirmed musicians include a powerhouse
of vocalists: Hamdan Al-Abri, Al Mohandi
and Nizar Al-Issa. Teaming up with them
are trumpet player Yazz Ahmed, rapper
and guitarist Hertham Al-Dayed, qanun
player Waheb Abdullah Waheb Al Dhanki
and keyboard player Tarik Saeed. As
the Middle East enters a new era of self
expression, the Gulf States have a story
to tell and music offers a unique way of
relaying their diverse experiences.
Matthew Herbert’s
Russian Big Band
EUROPE STAGE
Trafalgar Square
Sunday 22 July 2012
British electronic musician and DJ, Matthew
Herbert will create a new Russian Big Band
from scratch, with the ambition that the
band will continue to play together long
after the project has finished. Well known
for the use of so-called ‘real’, ‘ordinary’ or
‘found’ sounds in modern electronic music,
Matthew will compose two new pieces
of music created from sounds of Russia.
The new pieces will be performed by the
Big Band made up of Russian and UK
players in Trafalgar Square.
Produced by the British Council
with Accidental Records.
LGS//LDN
AFRICA STAGE
London Pleasure Gardens, Docklands
Saturday 21 July 2012
Representing Africa will be a UK – Nigerian
collaboration that will bring together
different generations of musicians to
reflect a diversity of influences.
Produced by the British Council with
No-Nation.
Produced by the British Council
with Musicians Incorporated.
In Transit © Neil Walton
Ondatrópica
AMERICAS STAGE
Tower of London
Sunday 22 July 2012
British musician and producer Will Holland
A.K.A. Quantic and Colombian Mario
Geleano, the creative mind behind the band
Frente Cumbiero, have joined forces to
create Ondatrópica. Built on the success
of the British Council’s recent three-year
Incubator project, Ondatrópica aims to
explore and savour the popular music
of the Colombian Caribbean.
Produced by the British Council
with Como No!
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Edinburgh World
Writers’ Conference
The 1962 Conference © The Alan Daiches Family and the Archive of The National
Library of Scotland. We would also like to thank Strathclyde University.
The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 9
‘Half a century ago Edinburgh
hosted a Writers’ Conference
that was so influential it helped
bring about the explosion of
literary festivals as we know
them today.’
Nick Barley
Director of the Edinburgh
International Book Festival
The Writers’ Conference is inspired
by a similar gathering that took place
in Edinburgh 50 years ago, which was
so influential it helped to trigger the
proliferation of literary festivals that we
have today. The themes of this year’s
conference echo the 1962 conference.
Each event begins with a keynote address
by a leading author, followed by an open
debate with conference delegates and
members of the public.
The Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference brings together
leading writers from across the world to explore how writers
and writing can help make sense of the world. Starting
with five events at the 2012 Edinburgh International Book
Festival, the Conference will travel around the globe over
the following 12 months.
For further information please visit
www.edinburghworldwritersconference.org
Edinburgh International Book Festival
and the British Council are opening the
conference up to a worldwide discussion.
As the debate rolls around the globe over
the coming year people who would like to
engage in the debate can join in online.
Once the Conference leaves Edinburgh,
there are conference gatherings across
the world in countries including India,
Germany, Australia, Canada, Egypt and
China. Highlights from the global discussion
are being published as a book which will
be the most complete picture of writing
ever attempted.
The Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference is
the result of an exciting new programming
partnership between the Edinburgh
International Book Festival and the British
Council, and is supported by The Scottish
Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo
Fund, Creative Scotland, EventScotland
and the City of Edinburgh Council. The
Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference is
part of the London 2012 Festival.
For booking information please visit
www.edbookfest.co.uk
Edinburgh World Writers’
Conference at the Edinburgh
International Book Festival
17–21 August 2012
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Urban Sports Pockets at the Austrian Cultural Forum © Hamish Park
International
Architecture
and Design
Showcase 2012
The International Showcase is an opportunity to exchange
ideas about the importance of architecture and design in
a fast-changing world.
The Showcase opens with the London Festival of Architecture
and concludes with the London Design Festival. A range
of events including exhibitions, installations, lectures, and
films leads a global debate about architecture and design,
exploring the relationship between the built environment
and cultural, technological and environmental change.
HOME: Contemporary Architectural Interpretations
of the Home in the Arab World © AMBS Architects
Netherlands: Nolympics © KCAP Architects, 2012
Design Diplomacy series of talks,
debates and events organised by the
British Council and the University
of Westminster.
21 June – 23 September 2012
Urban Sports Pockets, at the Austrian
Cultural Forum, is an exhibition examining
impromptu recreation spaces that
have sprung up in London and Vienna.
The Embassy of the Netherlands presents
Nolympics, a pop-up display of unrealised
Dutch Olympic architecture including
work by practices BDP, KCAP and MVRDV.
HOME, curated by the Museum of
Architecture, examines the Middle East and
North Africa with work by contemporary
Arab and international architects from
countries including Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon,
Morocco, Yemen, Bahrain and Qatar shown
in a group exhibition at the Mosaic Room
in Kensington.
The Italian Cultural Institute hosts
Pininfarina in London, an exhibition devoted
to leading industrial designers, while
architect Vlad Tenu’s installation of Minimal
Complexities is on display at the beautiful
new Central Saint Martins atrium in King’s
Cross for the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Ambika P3 at the University of Westminster,
hosts Architecture of Change: Four
Continents, Five Perspectives, a group of
exhibitions from the Caribbean, Namibia,
Serbia, South Africa and Taiwan examining
architecture, cities, structures and ideas
that have undergone radical shifts around
the world. Ambika P3 is also home to the
The Architectural Association of Kenya
exhibition explores new thinking about
the urban environment as confidence
grows about the nation’s future, while
Tanzania’s Anza Magazine, the first of its
kind in East Africa, launches its third issue
and hosts a series of open workshops
about the magazine.
Other countries presenting work
throughout the International Showcase
include Burkina Faso, Japan, Peru, Russia,
and South Africa, as well as international
talks, hosted by the RIBA, from Croatia,
Switzerland and The Czech Republic.
For more information visit
www.britishcouncil.org/new/london-2012/
British-Council-Programme/programmes/
International-Showcase/
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International
VOICES
All images: International Youth Music Voices rehearsal © Matt Grayson
International Voices is a school music twinning project
bringing five UK ‘Sing Up’ school clusters together with five
overseas clusters (in Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Kenya, Brazil,
India) to develop partnerships between schools in the UK
and around the world, with music and singing at the heart.
This project was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games. The British Council, through the
Connecting Classrooms programme, has enabled schools
and artists in the UK to come together with schools and
artists from around the world to write, learn and perform
specially commissioned songs, with the aim of raising their
singing activity to a new level of excellence.
It is being led by partnership of four
organisations – Sing Up, Youth Music Voices,
British Council and LOCOG.
Sing Up UK clusters are supported by
Richard Frostick, Artistic Director of Youth
Music Voices. Each overseas cluster is
being supported by a local musician.
Young people from Bulgaria and Brazil were
invited by Richard Frostick, with the support
of the British Council, to audition to take
part in a major UK project in partnership
with Youth Music. This offered 16 –21
year-olds the opportunity to join in and
celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games through singing. One
hundred and twenty young people from
the broadest cultural mix across the UK
are working together as Youth Music Voices
– a youth vocal ensemble unlike any other
in the UK. The young singers will produce
vibrant and exciting music throughout the
London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Performance dates: BT River of Music,
Europe Stage (Trafalgar Square) and Asia
Stage (Battersea Park), Sunday 22 July;
One Big Stage at the Royal Opera House,
Sunday 22 July; Arts in Parliament,
Wednesday 25 July at Westminster Hall;
and Womad Festival Friday 27 July at
Charlton Park, Wiltshire.
For information and performance dates
www.youthmusic.org.uk/musicispower/
Areas-of-work/Encouraging-TalentPotential/Youth-Music-Voices.html
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POETRY
PARNASSUS
Simon Armitage © Jonty Wilde
Poetry Parnassus at the Southbank Centre brings the world’s
most exciting poets, rappers, spoken word artists, singers
and storytellers together to make history as the largest
poetry festival ever staged in the UK.
Southbank Centre
26 June – 1 July 2012
Poetry Parnassus is a teeming hub of
poetic activity with readings, workshops,
performances, translation slams, discussion
and collaboration.
The British Council, in partnership with
the Southbank Centre, is hosting the World
Poetry Summit. For the first time, leading
festival directors, arts programmers,
poets, translators, academics, educators,
publishers and editors come together
for a one-day conference to share
ideas and debate poetry’s place in the
world. Influential and innovative UK and
international experts have the opportunity
to explore the role of poetry and how we
engage with it now, and in the future.
For more information about The World
Poetry Summit, visit http://ticketing.
southbankcentre.co.uk/poetry-parnassus
‘Poetry Parnassus will be
unique, not just in its size and
ambition, but in its attitude
and ideology … As well as
spectacular headline-grabbing
events such as the Rain of
Poems, (100,000 poems
dropped from a helicopter onto
Jubilee Gardens), The World
Record (a book consisting
of handwritten poems from
poets of every nation) and
gala readings involving Nobel
Laureates, the programme
also includes more intimate or
specialised events, reflecting
the range of poetic voices at
work in the world today …’
Simon Armitage
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The Changing Room
Artists from the Arab world occupy an underground gallery,
a magic shop and an office hub evoking signs of change.
‘Uppekha’ Series, 2011 © Nermine Hammam (Egypt)
‘The Changing Room is an exciting project
for the British Council to be involved in.
Aida Eltorie has brought together artists
from across the Middle East and North
Africa. The exhibition also brings some of
the spirit and vibrancy of the region into
the heart of London using unconventional
spaces to connect the Olympic City with
resonant voices from countries looking
for new directions.’
Stephen Stenning
Regional Director Arts, Egypt
Curated by Aida Eltorie
15 August – 30 September 2012
The Changing Room project presents an
alternative vision of recent changes that
have occurred in and around the Arab
region. The project includes a series
of photos, videos and installations by
groundbreaking artists from the region.
The visual statements by the artists reflect
their own experiences of events in the
Arab region and the desire for change.
Three venues have been selected to host
the show in central London:
The Underground Gallery
www.undergroundgallery.co.uk/
Davenport Magic Shop
www.davenportsmagic.co.uk/
Hub Westminster
http://hubwestminster.net/
The Changing Room is complemented
by a programme of talks, screenings
and interactive workshops. For further
information please visit http://festival.
london2012.com/ and http://www.
britishcouncil.org/new/london-2012/
The project forms part of the London
Festival and is being delivered by Finding
Projects Association in partnership with
7point9 initiative with support from the
British Council.
One of the project’s central visual
statements brings Palestinian Jerusalem
into the heart of London. Other works focus
more on the occupation of space, including
for example a Moroccan salon decorated in
commercial fabrics.
‘Nation Estate’ – Jerusalem Floor, 2011
© Larissa Sansour (Palestine)
‘The Dictators – Studies
For a Monument’, 2008
© Marwan Sahmarani (Lebanon)
‘Coca Colty’ Series,
2011 © Karim Al Husseini
(Palestine)
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unlimited
Lucy Hind and David Toole © Simon Warner
‘I’m struck by the enormous diversity and
scale of ambition of these artists. The work
of deaf and disabled artists has been going
from strength to strength, and we are thrilled
that these extraordinary projects will help
form the centrepiece of the London 2012
Cultural Olympiad. It promises a truly long
lasting legacy of increased profile for this
groundbreaking art.’
Moira Sinclair
Executive Director London,
Arts Council England
Breathe Brazil Team © Denise Poote
Unlimited is the UK’s largest programme celebrating arts,
culture and sport by disabled and deaf people. The project
is a series of major commissions which is funded by the
National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor
and delivered by Arts Council England, together with Arts
Council of Wales, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Northern
Ireland and British Council. As part of the programme,
the British Council is supporting a series of creative
collaborations between UK and international artists,
which are being showcased across the UK and beyond.
Breathe
Weymouth Beach
28 July 2012
Southbank Centre
31 August – 9 September 2012
Breathe is a spectacular outdoor circus,
dance and theatrical event to open the
London 2012 Olympic sailing events
in Weymouth.
Produced by Diverse City, Breathe has been
created by three leading disabled artists
Jamie Beddard, Alex Bulmer and David Toole.
Breathe is performed by disabled and nondisabled performers from Dorset and Brazil in
a unique collaboration with APAE and Estacao
Dancar, both from Florianopolis, Brazil.
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unlimited
Boomba Down the Tyne © Darren Eddon,
Available Light Studios
The Impending Storm David Toole, Lucy Hind
and Remix Dance Company © Mark Wessels
The Dean Rodney Singers
Unlimited Global Alchemy
Southbank Centre
31 August – 9 September 2012
Museum of Archaeology
and Anthropology, Cambridge
22 June – 18 August 2012
The Dean Rodney Singers is produced
by Heart n Soul (UK) and features various
artists from Brazil, China, Croatia, Germany,
Japan and South Africa.
Boomba Down the Tyne
Various venues, Newcastle
24 – 27 August 2012
Southbank Centre
2 September 2012
Boomba Down the Tyne brings together
the spirit of the English Blaydon Races with
the Brazilian Boi Bumba in a large-scale
performance celebrating both cultures.
Dean Rodney, a young artist with autism,
leads this participatory digital project
with the help of 72 band members from
seven countries across the world. Working
together online, the global band has
created new music, dance and video
using cutting-edge web technology. The
installation will be an interactive audiovisual experience as the world of the Dean
Rodney Singers comes to life. The audience
can create digital art, music or dance
moves or simply explore the music and
videos created by the band.
The Bluecoat, Liverpool
30 August 2012
Southbank Centre
31 August – 9 September 2012
The Impending Storm
International Dance Festival Birmingham
1– 2 May 2012
Southbank Centre
7– 8 September 2012
Acclaimed dancer David Toole
collaborates with a team of UK and South
African artists, both able-bodied and
disabled. The Impending Storm created
with Birmingham-based artist Mark Storor
is personal, particular and political.
Music and dance from Brazil will be woven
into a theatrical show performed by artists
from the North East of Brazil and the North
East of England featuring Lawnmowers (UK),
Opaxoro Dance & Percussion Company and
Orquestra Sertao/Urucungo Association
Point of Culture from Brazil.
Featuring Rachel Gadsden (UK), Nondumiso
Hlwele and the Bambanani Women’s Group
from South Africa, Unlimited Global Alchemy
is led by visual artist Rachel Gadsden in
collaboration with South African artist
and activist Nondumiso Hlwele and the
Bambanani Women’s Group based in
Khayelitsha Township near Cape Town.
Together they explore issues of identity,
survival in the face of chronic medical
conditions, and the politics of HIV.
The project culminates in an exhibition of
large-scale visual artworks, a performance
and a documentary film which tours the UK
and then internationally.
For further information about the
performances please visit
http://festival.london2012.com/events/
Dancers of Remix Dance Company, South
Africa’s only professional integrated dance
company, perform with UK-based David
Toole and Lucy Hind. In collaboration,
UK musician Dom Coyote and South
African singer Sandile Gontsana provide
a passionate spoken text and sung score.
Heart n Soul, The Dean Rodney Singers © Pau Ros
Rachel Gadsden painting at Liberty Festival 2010,
Trafalgar Square © Hamish Roberts
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World Shakespeare
Festival
The World Shakespeare Festival is
a celebration of Shakespeare as the
world’s playwright, produced by the
Royal Shakespeare Company in an
unprecedented collaboration with leading
UK and international arts organisations, and
with Globe to Globe, a major international
programme produced by Shakespeare’s
Globe. Globe to Globe brings together
– over a six week period – all 37 of
Shakespeare’s plays, each performed
in a different language.
The World Shakespeare Festival Education Workshop: Photographs by Stewart Hemsley © RSC
‘And if we thrive, promise them
such rewards,
As victors wear at the Olympian
Games. This may plant courage
in their quailing breasts,
For yet is hope of life and victory;
Fore-slow no longer, make we
hence amain.’
William Shakespeare
The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth
Act II, Scene III
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World Shakespeare
Festival
The World Shakespeare Festival Education Workshop © Stewart Hemsley
The Dark Side of Love
Roundhouse, London
26 June – 8 July 2012
Renato Rocha of Companhia Bufomecânica
has developed a new piece inspired by
Shakespeare’s tragedies, The Dark Side
of Love performed by a cast of local
teenagers in an atmospheric underground
space at the Roundhouse.
A Soldier in Every Son
– An Aztec Trilogy
Royal Shakespeare Company
The British Council has supported the
following international partnerships:
Lotfi Achour and Anissa Daoud.
Mixing contemporary reportage and
Shakespeare in a production inspired
by the tumultuous events of the Arab
Spring, the production combines
Shakespeare with film and reportage.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(As You Like It)
Royal Shakespeare Theatre,
Stratford-upon-Avon
10 –18 August 2012
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
29 June – 28 July 2012
Kings Theatre,
Edinburgh International Festival
24 – 26 August 2012
From Mexico, a co-production
from the National Theatre of Mexico
and Royal Shakespeare Company by
Luis Mario Moncada has been inspired
by Shakespeare’s history plays.
Passion, power and intrigue play out
in a political thriller in three parts,
spanning a century of Aztec history.
From Russia, director and artist Dmitry
Krymov, one of the most original talents
of his generation, presents his remarkable
and visually striking interpretation of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Expect his
take on Shakespeare’s most magical
of comedies to be unlike any Dream
you have seen before.
For further information on all
RSC co-productions visit
www.worldshakespearefestival.org.uk/
Two Roses for Richard III
Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad
Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
7 –12 May 2012
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
26 April – 5 May 2012
Macbeth Leïla and Ben
– A Bloody History
Roundhouse, London
18 – 23 May
LIFT at Riverside Studios, London
27 – 30 June
LIFT at Riverside Studios, London
4 – 7 July 2012
From Brazil, the production Two Roses
for Richard III, by Companhia Bufomecânica
is inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays
and combines Shakespeare’s text with
circus, multimedia, visual metaphor and
aerial choreography.
From Iraq, a version of Romeo and Juliet
by Baghdad’s Iraqi Theatre company,
adapted by Monadhil Daood. Set against
conflict between families, communities and
generations and infused with Iraq’s rich
traditions of poetry, music and ritual, this
is Romeo and Juliet for a new generation.
Northern Stage, Newcastle/Gateshead
12 – 14 July 2012
From Tunisia, Shakespeare’s vision of evil
and driving ambition finds new resonance
in a modern day production by Artistes,
Producteurs, Associés adapted by
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World Shakespeare
Festival
Globe to Globe at Shakespeare’s Globe
The British Council has supported the
development process of three productions:
The Comedy of Errors by
the Rah-e-Sabz company
from Afghanistan
Cymbeline by the South Sudan
Theatre Company from Juba
Globe Theatre, London
30 – 31 May
Globe Theatre, London
2 – 3 May 2012
South Sudan is the world’s newest
country and this is the first ever
adaptation of Shakespeare into Juba
Arabic. The adaptation, led by writer
Taban Lo Liyong, draws on local accents,
modern slang and myth, to create a show
that resonates with contemporary life
and politics in South Sudan.
The Taming of the Shrew
by Theatre Wallay – KASHF
Globe Theatre, London
25 – 26 May 2012
Theatre Wallay – KASHF presents a new
production of The Taming of the Shrew,
starring the Lahore screen and stage star
Nadia Jamil as Katherine. Rich in colour
and energy, the production explores
the difficulties encountered by modern
Pakistani women. With live singers and
musicians, a thrilling bhangra jig rounds
off this uplifting version of the first romcom.
Noted for controversial productions
wherein men and women act together, Roye-Sabs bring from Kabul their new version
of The Comedy of Errors. The performance
is a great moment of celebration, created
under exceptionally difficult conditions,
as the group leaves Kabul for the first time
to perform at the Globe.
For further information http://globetoglobe.
shakespearesglobe.com/
World Shakespeare Festival
Education Programme
Education
New research findings, released by the
RSC and the British Council, reveal that
50 per cent of the world’s schoolchildren
study Shakespeare. Shakespeare is taught
in countries as diverse as Australia,
Azerbaijan, Canada, China, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy,
Kuwait, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan, Ukraine,
USA, UK, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Shakespeare in education and examining
some examples of best teaching practice;
the other will give a broader view of the
contemporary arts education landscape.
The World Shakespeare Festival Education Workshop:
Photographs by Stewart Hemsley © RSC
The World Shakespeare Festival creates
a legacy for young people in a number
of ways, including through Shakespeare:
A World Wide Classroom which includes
a ‘wiki Shakespeare’ inviting teachers
and students from across the world to
share information about where, how and
why Shakespeare is taught and a project
connecting students in the UK with young
people in India, South Africa, Oman, the
USA, Hong Kong and Czech Republic.
Worlds Together
Tate Modern
6 – 8 September
An international conference for teachers
exploring the value of Shakespeare and
the arts in the lives of young people.
The conference has two strands: one
exploring the worldwide influence of
For further information about the
Education Programme please visit
www.worldshakespearefestival.org.uk/
education/
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The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 29
English for
the Games
© British Council
‘The visitor’s handbook has been specially
designed for athletes and other visitors who
will be coming to the United Kingdom for
the Games. We hope there is something
here for everyone’
Lord Coe
Chair, London 2012 Organising Committee
When athletes come together from around
the world to compete in the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, billions of people across
the globe will be watching this great global
celebration of sport. We have developed
a range of English Language materials
to satisfy the huge global interest in the
English Language inspired by London 2012.
These materials are aimed at learners and
teachers of English worldwide as well as
those visiting the UK for the Games.
Resources for Teachers
We have a series of lesson plans at different
language proficiency levels on the themes
of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic
history and values. There are over 50
different self-access sports worksheets
based on Olympic and Paralympic sports,
plus games and videos available online:
Visitor Handbook
We have designed a visitor handbook
especially for the 18,000 Olympic and
7,000 Paralympic athletes, officials and
other visitors who will be coming to the
UK for the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games.
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/english-forthe-games
The handbook includes specialist sports
vocabulary and dialogues. For native
speakers of English there are some basic
phrases in different languages to use
when communicating with visitors from
other countries.
www.britishcouncil.org/english-forthe-games
Languages for the Games
The British Council is running a global
competition for schoolchildren called
‘Languages for the Games’. The aim is to
show creativity in a second language while
carrying out a task about Paralympic sports
and values. Languages for the games is for
schoolchildren in the UK aged 8–16 who are
learning a modern foreign language such
as French, Spanish or Mandarin and school
children overseas who are learning English
as a foreign language. To learn more please
visit http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/
and follow the link to ‘English for the Games’.
WARM UP for
the Games
The Olympic and Paralympic Games are an
inspiration for young people all over the
world. The Games stimulate young people’s
curiosity in other cultures and provide an
opportunity to learn from each other and
develop new friendships. The British Council
has involved young people worldwide in the
build up to the Games through our Warm
up for the Games project and through our
school linking services.
Warm up for the Games is an online
resource aimed at students and teachers
in the UK and around the world. It offers a
range of project materials and promotes
school linking opportunities around the
Games. Through our school linking services
we have set up over 3,000 school links
between schools in the UK and around the
world. Projects we have supported in the
build up to the Games include:
• LOCOG’s International School Linking
Programme: the British Council has linked
schools in the UK with schools nominated
by National Olympic Committees (NOCs)
and National Paralympic Committees
(NPCs) worldwide.
• The BBC’s Twin for 2012 initiative:
the British Council has found partners
for those schools in UK wishing to link
with schools from around the world in
the build up to the Games.
There are lots of different ways that
schools can participate. Go online and
find out how you can get involved at
http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/
warm-up-for-the-games
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Edinburgh International
Culture Summit
Ministers of Culture from around the world are gathering
in Edinburgh in August for the first ever International Culture
Summit. The Edinburgh International Culture Summit is a
collaboration between the Scottish Government, the UK
Government, the British Council, the Edinburgh International
Festival and the Scottish Parliament. The conference theme
is ‘Culture as an International Dialogue’.
Following on from the Olympic Closing
Ceremony, the summit takes place on
August 13–14 during the world-renowned
Edinburgh Festivals. The programme for
the summit has been developed around
three strands:
• Role of the arts and culture in deepening
and broadening our understanding of the
complex relationships between cultures
and nations.
• Sustaining private and public support
for culture.
• Future skills for the creative industries
and the role of technology.
Ministerial discussions include: the use and
value of the arts and the role of culture
and the creative industries in encouraging
dialogue among nations.
Plenary sessions are being broadcast.
For further information and to follow
plenary sessions please visit
www.eics2012.com/
‘The British Council has
been using culture to build
ties internationally since
1934 and was instrumental
in the establishment of the
first Edinburgh Festival. We
are delighted to be working
alongside our Scottish and
UK partners to bring this event
to Edinburgh with the aim of
demonstrating and discussing
the value of cultural relations
and its increasing importance
in today’s world.’
Lloyd Anderson
British Council Director Scotland
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International
Inspiration
The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 33
Young Support Leader Training in Lahore, Pakistan © II Foundation/2011/Warrick Page
International Inspiration is London 2012’s international sports
legacy programme and has enriched the lives of more than
12 million children in 20 countries around the world through
high-quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.
It was developed from the London 2012 bid team’s promise
to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect
them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are
inspired to choose sport.’
Highlights
Young girls take part in sports activities that contributed
to a Municipal Seal award for Belo Jardim, Brazil
© International Inspiration/2009/Mateus Sa
‘We promised that the lives
of 12 million young people
would change through the
power of sport, so a year out
from the Games I am delighted
to announce that we have
fulfilled that pledge.’
International Inspiration inspires and
enables millions of young people in
countries around the world to play sport.
This changes lives, empowers young
people, brings schools and communities
together, and promotes health and
education for all. The British Council works
closely with UK Sport and UNICEF, as well
as the London Organising Committee of
the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
(LOCOG), to deliver this ambitious project
in 20 countries: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,
Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India,
Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau (in Micronesia)
South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, UK and Zambia.
Lord Coe
Chair, London 2012 Organising Committee
25 July 2011
For further information please visit
www.britishcouncil.org/sport-internationalinspiration.htm
www.london2012.com/get-involved/
education/international-inspiration/
• Over 12 million children and
young people have actively
participated in sport, physical
education and play as a direct
result of International Inspiration
– many for the first time in their
lives. Eight million of these
regularly participate at least
once per month.
• Over 80,000 teachers, coaches
and young leaders have been
trained to lead sport, physical
education and play in their schools
and communities, acquiring new
skills and know-how.
• Over 650 policy makers in
participating countries have
been engaged in discussions
about the value of sport, physical
education and play, helping to
place this onto the youth agenda
in their countries. Over 100 of
these have undertaken intensive
study visits to the UK.
• More than 500 schools (250 in
the UK and 250 in International
Inspiration countries) are linked
by the British Council through
the programme.
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World
stages
World Olympic
Dreams
World Olympic Dreams is a BBC project
that follows the lives and progress of 26
athletes from around the world as they
train for 2012. BBC World Class and the
British Council have teamed up to enable
88 schools in the UK to partner with schools
attended by World Olympic Dreams Athletes
from 19 different countries.
To find out more about the athletes go to
www.bbc.co.uk/worldclass and follow the
link to World Olympic Dreams.
Working with BBC World Class, the
British Council supports 46 school
partnerships between schools in the UK
and the schools of the athletes’ including
Usain Bolt. Not only are 15,840 students
World Stages London is the first ever
collaboration between eight London theatres
and 12 UK and international co-producers.
Together they have created a series of
outstanding theatre events that evoke the
uniquely rich cultural mix that is London.
and 520 teachers across the UK and the
world supporting athletes as they follow
their Olympic dream, but they are sharing
the experience and excitement with their
partner schools and working on joint
curriculum projects. These projects are
inspired by the story of the athlete that each
partnership is following and they fall within
three themes: ‘World’, ‘Olympic’ and ‘Dreams’.
To learn more about the partnerships and to
meet the school teams please visit www.bbc.
co.uk/worldclass/ and follow the link to the
Olympic Dreams network.
The British Council supports the international
research and development of World Stages.
The countries from which the productions draw
their inspiration include the UK, India, China,
France, South Africa, Germany, Estonia, Brazil,
Cuba, Nigeria, Israel/Palestine and the USA.
BBC World Class is a partner programme
of the London 2012 Education Programme.
‘Having seen how much
Luol [Deng] has achieved
in his life and looking at
his background, they are
beginning to realise that
if they put their mind to
something, there is every
possibility that they will
achieve it!’
© Wild Swans Production Photo, January 2012
Wild Swans
Young Vic
13 April – 13 May 2012
The first ever staging of Jung Chang’s
worldwide bestselling account of one family
in a time of revolution.
By Jung Chang
Adapted by Alexandra Wood
Directed by Sacha Wares
Baltasound Junior High School,
Shetland Islands © Caroline Massie
Caroline Hunter
PE Teacher, Baltasound Junior High School, Shetland Islands
http://worldstageslondon.com/show/
wild-swans.php
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World
stages
Wah! Wah! Girls
Peacock Theatre
24 May – 23 June 2012
BABEL
A new British Bollywood musical.
Caledonian Park, Islington
8 – 20 May 2012
By Tanika Gupta
Directed by Emma Rice
A spectacular outdoor show, featuring a
cast of 500 community and professional
actors and musicians.
http://worldstageslondon.com/show/
wah!-wah!-girls.php
Directed by Bill Mitchell
http://worldstageslondon.com/show/
babel.php
The Beloved
The Bush Theatre
21 May – 9 June
Three Kingdoms
Inspired by the Biblical and Koranic story
of Abraham and Isaac/Ishmael.
Lyric Hammersmith
3 –19 May 2012
A gripping police versus low life thriller
set across London, Munich and Tallinn.
By Simon Stephens
Directed by Sebastian Nübling
http://worldstageslondon.com/show/
three-kingdoms.php
The Suit
Written and directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi
Young Vic
21 May – 16 June 2012
http://worldstageslondon.com/show/
the-beloved.php
A musical play based on a story of 1950s
township life by Can Themba.
Written and directed by Peter Brook and
Marie-Hélène Estienne
http://worldstageslondon.com/show/
the-suit.php
World Stages
Showcase weekends
Somerset House
11–13 and 25 – 27 May
The British Council is collaborating with
Arts Council England and World Stages on
the organisation of two weekend showcases
in May. These showcases are intended for UK
and international producers, programmers
interested in international collaboration
and co-production possibilities. As well as
World Stages performances, there are writer
and artists talks, seminars and post-show
discussions. Further collaborations are
planned for 2013.
Please visit www.britishcouncil.org/new/
london-2012/British-Council-Programme/
programmes/World-Stages-/ for details.
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Beyond 2012 –
The International
Legacy
Lord Coe, Chair of LOCOG and International Inspiration Ambassador David Beckham in Athens
for the handover of the Olympic Torch inspiring young people during a school visit © British Council
Every aspect of the British Council programme for 2012
has been designed with legacy in mind. Our goal has
been to increase and strengthen international connections
with the UK and at the same time enhance international
perceptions of the UK. We will sustain these mutually
beneficial connections and partnerships through our
ongoing cultural relations activities in the years ahead.
In education, working with LOCOG and the
BBC, we have established over 3,000 school
links between schools in the UK and around
the world. These links have been inspired
by the Games as teachers and young people
have been motivated to find out more about
the competing countries. Schools have
engaged in a range of projects related in
some way to the Games or Olympic and
Paralympic values. The British Council
is providing mechanisms for schools to
sustain their partnerships through Schools
Online and through the new Connecting
Classrooms programme.
In sport, International Inspiration, the
international sports legacy programme,
has enriched the lives of over 12 million
young people in 20 countries around the
world by inspiring them to take up sport.
The policies and training approaches and
the programme’s emphasis on engaging key
policy makers in International Inspiration
countries will endure long after the London
2012 Games have finished. UK Sport, UNICEF
and the British Council will continue to
deliver International Inspiration until 2014
and there is already considerable interest
in establishing similar programmes in other
places around the world. The millions of
young people involved in International
Inspiration will continue to engage their
peers, teachers and communities and
use their newly-acquired leadership
skills to champion sport as a tool for
personal development, education and
life opportunities.
In the arts, we have commissioned or
facilitated a number of artistic collaborations
for the Cultural Olympiad and London
Festival involving British and international
artists. Through the Unlimited programme,
for example, we have commissioned works
from British and international disabled and
deaf artists which will be showcased at
the South Bank Centre in September 2012.
We are identifying opportunities to tour
these and other works developed for the
London Festival in the years ahead. We
have supported a number of collaborations
for BT River of Music between British and
international musicians which will continue
to evolve in the years ahead. Our work with
World Stages has helped to demonstrate
the mutual benefits of developing pieces
for theatre involving British and international
producers and performers. We have not
only supported collaboration at practitioner
level but have also supported dialogue at a
policy level. Through the first ever Summit
for Culture Ministers in Edinburgh we have
worked closely with the Scottish and UK
Governments, Edinburgh International
Festival and the Scottish Parliament to
establish a forum to share current thinking
in international approaches to cultural
policy. The cultural activities surrounding
the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games have acted as a springboard for
much greater international co-operation
in the arts. The British Council will help to
sustain this impetus in the years ahead.
In English Language we have created a
body of work around sport and language
that can be developed and adapted for
future major sporting events. We have
found a way of linking people’s passion
for sport with their desire to learn
English. We have made available exciting
language learning materials not only
to existing customers but also to new
audiences worldwide.
The legacy of London 2012 will be
incorporated into all aspects of the
British Council’s work as we seek to
build on the goodwill and connections
established through the Games.
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The British Council Programme for London 2012 | 41
Get Set Goes Global
and the International
Education Programme
Schoolchildren in the UK, through London
2012’s Get Set Goes Global programme,
can learn about how sport and the
Olympic Games bring the world together.
http://getset.london2012.com/en/
get-set-goes-global
The official London 2012 International
Education Programme offers learning
resources about the London 2012 Games
in English, French and Spanish. These
resources are available for schools from
around the world.
‘London’s vision is to reach
young people all around
the world; to connect them
with the inspirational power
of the Games.’
Lord Coe, Chair, London Organising Committee
for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)
http://getset.london2012.com/en/
get-set-goes-global/internationaleducation-programme
The Cultural Olympiad
and London 2012 Festival
The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the
largest cultural celebration in the history
of the modern Olympic and Paralympic
Movements. Since the Cultural Olympiad
started in 2008 over 16 million people
from all over the UK have participated in
or attended performances inspired by
London 2012.
The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad is
the London 2012 Festival taking place from
21 June to 9 September 2012.
The London 2012 Festival includes 12,000
events and performances featuring over
25,000 artists from all 204 participating
Olympic nations, providing over 10 million
chances to see free world-class events
happening all across the UK.
Sign up to get information on the London
2012 Festival at
www.london2012.com/festival
More information on the Cultural Olympiad
can be found at
www.london2012.com/culture
© British Council 2012 Brand and Design / C043
The British Council creates international opportunities for the people
of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).
‘The British Council is proud to
be playing its part in achieving
this vision. We are helping
to make the London 2012
Games a truly international and
inclusive experience. Working
in partnership and drawing on
our international network, our
expertise in the arts, education
and English language, we will
help ensure that the London
2012 Games touch the lives
of people all over the world.’
Sir Vernon Ellis, Chair, British Council
WELCOME TO BRITAIN IN OUR SPECTACULAR
OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC YEAR
www.britishcouncil.org