2015
ANNUAL REPORT
INDEX PAGE ORGANIZERS
01
INTRODUCTION
02
ARTS AND CREATIVE ECONOMY
03
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
11
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
15
GUADALAJARA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2015
17
LEGACY
19
MEDIA IMPACT
20 ANNUAL REPORT 2015
ORGANIZERS 01
The British Council is an international organization working in over 100 countries, connecting millions of people with the United Kingdom through programmes and services in the English language, Arts, Education and Society. It believes these are the most effective means of engaging with others, and has been doing this work since 1934. The British Embassy supports a number of British resources in Mexico, working with various bilateral programmes, including political, trade and economic activities of interest to both countries. Our Consulate General in Mexico City and network of Honorary Consuls in Cancun, Los Cabos, Acapulco and Tijuana, help British nationals in Mexico. British Trade and Investment (UKTI) has offices in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Tijuana that support British companies investing and trading in Mexico and their Mexican counterparts in the UK. The Dual Year of the UK and MĂŠxico 2015 would not have been possible without the generous support of institutions such as AMEXCID, Anglo Arts, ANUIES, Conaculta, Conacyt, the Mexican Ministry of Public Education and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others. We thank in particular our founding sponsors: Diageo, EY, HSBC and Shell, who have dedicated themselves to strengthening the vibrant cultural and commercial relations that exist between the two nations.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
INTRODUCTION The Dual Year of UK and Mexico 2015 marked a step-change in relations between our two countries. From the very highest levels (HRH Prince Charles’s visit in November 2014,President Peña Nieto’s State Visit to the UK in March 2015 and a number of flagship events throughout the year) to the multitude of grassroots activities which engaged the general public in both countries, the Year was an unqualified success. Over twelve months, the two countries strengthened existing ties of cooperation in the areas of arts, education, science, innovation, trade and investment.Together with the Mexican government, we have capitalized on the potential of the initiative to build a legacy that will last way beyond 2015. The UK in Mexico 2015 half of the programme strengthened the recognition of Britain as an innovative and creative nation, proud of its wide diversity of people and institutions. Through nearly 400 events and programmes in 35 cities in the 32 states of Mexico, it promoted a better understanding of the UK, its values, traditions and great educational, commercial and cultural opportunities. In the field of education, the governments of both countries continue working together to promote academic mobility as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience. In 2015 we were able to grant the Chevening scholarship to over 100 Mexican students who are studying a postgraduate course in the UK. Both governments pledged to invest in science and innovation through the Newton Fund, a binational fund of about £40 million, which will continue for at least five more years.
DUNCAN TAYLOR British Ambassador to Mexico
2015 constituted a platform to make significant economic progress.There was a huge influx of British companies showing interest in the oil and gas sector, with a record number of 30 companies participating in the Mexican Showcase alongside Energy Day in September and a landmark mission for the new $13bn Mexico City Airport project. In November last year, Hamleys toy shop inaugurated the first of five shops that will be opened over the next five years in Mexico. The famous British double decker bus will begin to circulate through the streets of Mexico City in late 2016. The year saw an extraordinary exchange in the field of the arts. The exhibition Lee Miller: Surrealist Photographer was named by Bloomberg News as one of the ten most important exhibitions showing worldwide in the autumn of 2015.The exhibition Tate: Landscapes of the Mind was the second most popular in the history of the Mexican National Museum of Art. There could be no better finale than at the Guadalajara International Book Fair where the UK was Guest of Honour. Over the nine days we organized 216 individual events, featuring 30 writers, 20 academics, 23 publishers, 9 scientists, 9 bands, orchestras and dance companies, 4 exhibitions, 9 films, 1 British chef, a sheep named Shaun, and a spectacular two-storey pavilion. 2015 has been an extremely busy, successful and enjoyable year, full of experiences that will consolidate bilateral ties and marks a historic moment in our relationship with Mexico.
LENA MILOSEVIC Director British Council Mexico
DAVID ELLIOTT Director of the UK in Mexico 2015
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“One of the most important events in the cultural life of Mexico in 2015 was undoubtedly the celebration of the Dual Year of the UK and Mexico. While cultural exchange between our countries has always been constant, bringing together in a limited timeframe a fantastic selection of activities was truly exceptional and enriching.”
03
Gerardo Estrada, Director of Auditorio Nacional
PROGRAMME OF THE DUAL YEAR OF THE UK AND MEXICO ARTS AND CREATIVE ECONOMIES
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
The UK in Mexico 2015 arts programme covered all the art forms, from heritage to contemporary, from showcasing to conferences, and from events in museums, concert halls and theatres to extraordinary outdoor activities in public spaces. Large numbers of British artists were present in all the major festivals (Cervantino, Festival de Mayo in Guadalajara, Morelia Film Festival, Guadalajara International Book Fair etc) and there were smaller events too, like Dance in the Community in Monterrey and Tijuana, or the Arts and Disability Forum in Mexico City.There were major events like the Tate Landscapes exhibition at MUNAL, London Philharmonic Orchestra’s tour in the autumn and the exhibition Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style which coincided with the glamorous Americas premiere of Spectre. There were also great collaborations between British and Mexican creatives which saw events taking place in both countries: digital design (in Mexico City and London), documentary film making (in Mexico City and Sheffield) and contemporary classical music (in Mexico City, Morelia and Huddersfield). Many of these will carry on into 2016 and 2017.
04
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
VISUAL ARTS
05
Landscapes of the Mind. Tate Collection, British landscape painting 16902007. MUNAL, Mexico City. Michael Landy: Saints Alive. Exhibition of the British artist’s large-scale kinetic sculptures.Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City. Jeremy Deller: The Infinitely Variable Ideal of the Popular. Retrospective exhibition of Turner Prize winner at MUAC, Mexico City. Works by David Hockney. From the British Council Collection at MUSA, Guadalajara. David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind. Retrospective at Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara. Lee Miller. Surrealist Photographer. Major retrospective at the Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City. Simon Starling: Bowls, Plates exhibition at Casa Estudio Luis Barragán and El Eco film at Museo Experimental El Eco, Mexico City. Stephen Willats: Man of the 21st Century. Retrospective exhibition of the British artist known for his questioning of the social function of art. Museo Tamayo, Mexico City. Designing 007: 50 Years of James Bond coinciding with the release of the new Bond film,‘Spectre’. Plaza Carso, Mexico City. George Blacklock & Gary Oldman: Slipping Glimpsers at MUSA, Guadalajara. Laure Prouvost: While you weren’t looking. Exhibition of sculptures, collages and contemporary drawings. Laboratorio Arte Alameda, Mexico City. “William Bullock” Special Chair in Critical Museology. Establishment of the Chair in 21st Century Critical Museology at MUAC, Mexico City. Squidsoup: Submergence. Light installation, part of the Visual Art Week Mexico. Museo Jumex, Mexico City. Cholombianos. Exhibition of photography by Amanda Watkins of the Cholombianos subculture. Ex-convento del Carmen, Guadalajara. Crossed dialogues. México-UK. Talks with Mexican writers and Brian Nissen, Melanie Smith and Joy Laville about the artistic influences between the two nations, and the links that bind them. Mexico City. Between the Train and the Platform. Exhibition of works by young British artists on the Mexico City metro. Immersive Frames. Video installations by Rebecca Lennon, Elizabeth Price, Anna Barham and Gabriel Stones. Claustro de Sor Juana, Mexico City. A Room of One’s Own. Exhibition of Melanie Smith, Jaki Irvine and Katri Walker, curated by José Luis Barrios. Laboratorio Arte Alameda, Mexico City. Artist in residency. Andrew Lacon at SOMA. Mexico City.
DANCE AND THEATRE Festival Cultural de Mayo. The UK was Guest of Honour, with three weeks of performances from Akram Khan, Aakash Odedra, Michael Nyman, City of London Sinfonia, Classic Buskers, Gecko and Llyr Williams. Teatro Degollado, Guadalajara. Festival Internacional Cervantino. Performances by British companies including Candoco Dance Company, Birmingham Contemporary Music
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FACTS
74
ART PROJECTS
including
2 15 12 10 7 5 15 3 5
Public Space Visual Arts Film and Multimedia Dance and Theatre Literature Design Music TV Publications
FACTS
CITIES WITH THE MOST PRESENTATIONS
42 Guadalajara 8 Nuevo León 7 Guanajuato 5 Morelia 4 Puebla 2 Tijuana 2 Mexico City
13
PARTICIPATIONS
in festivals of architecture, design, music, dance, theatre, film and street art.
Group, Tortoise in a Nutshell, London Sinfonietta and a collaboration with Proyecto Ruelas. Guanajuato. Gecko. Physical theatre from the multiple-prizewinning UK company. Puebla and Mexico City. Community Dance. Dance workshop held as part of a project for social inclusion in support of vulnerable communities. Monterrey and Tijuana. Arts and Disability Forum. British experts, Candoco Dance Company and Mexican institutions. Centro Cultural del Bosque, Mexico City. Billy Cowie 3D Dance. Performance produced by choreographer, artist and writer. Monterrey. National Theatre Live. Series of plays filmed at the National Theatre in London, shown in all 32 states of Mexico. International 5 of May Festival. Including The Classic Buskers and Neil Henry. Puebla. Catherine Wheels Theatre Company. Performance of the play ‘White’. Monterrey. and Mexico City. Scaramouche Jones. 13-city, one-man theatrical show.
MUSIC London Philharmonic Orchestra. Four concerts in Mexico City and Puebla conducted by Alondra de la Parra. London Sinfonietta. Debut Mexican tour including Guanajuato and Mexico City. Festival MUTEK. Performances by Shackleton, Clark, Ben UFO, Rival Consoles, Lee Gamble and Dave Gaskarth. Mexico City. Mute Records Festival. Including OMD,Vince Clarke, Land Observations, and Ben Frost.Tlaquepaque.
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07
City of London Sinfonia. Tour including León, Guadalajara and Mexico City. Michael Nyman Band. Performance of his pieces ‘Manéjese sin demoras’, ‘The Sorcerer, the Warlock’ and the installation ‘México-Odesa’. Guadalajara, Guanajuato and Mexico City. El Nicho Festival including Keith Rowe and Robin Hayward. Mexico City. Cepromusic. Performances by James Dillon, Matthew Wright and Rebecca Saunders. Mexico City. Fonoteca Nacional: Soundscapes. Exhibition of four audio-visual pieces by Scanner, Richard Crow, Milo Taylor and Nicola Woodham. Mexico City. Sound Art Festival. British artists and musicians perform in collaboration with CMMAS in Morelia, Michoacán. Festival del Centro Histórico. Including Chaplin’s City Lights film, Julian Joseph Trio and The Tallis Scholars. Mexico City. Midge Ure. Ex-Ultravox solo show at Lunario.. Mexico City. Peatbog Fearies. Performance by the contemporary Celtic band. Mexico City. The Selector. Radio programme produced by the British Council with the best in British music; transmitted in Mexico City by Ibero 90.9 FM.
DESIGN AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
FACTS
10
More than journeys of academic exchange with specialists from the cultural sector in Mexico. National Theatre Live was shown in the
32
Mexico.
states of
Maker Library Network. Seminars, workshops and opening of the mobile Maker Library. Mexico City. Digital Futures. Collaborative programme with Victoria & Albert Museum and Digital Design Weekend. London and Mexico City. Mextrópoli. International Festival of Architecture and the City including keynote speaker Richard Burdett from the London School of Economics. Mexico City. El Rebozo: Made in Mexico. Exhibition of shawls inspired from London’s Fashion and Textile Museum. Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City.
LITERATURE Guadalajara International Book Fair. UK Guest of Honour. (page 17) International Book Fair in Zócalo. Matt Whyman, Sean O’Brien, Fabian Peake,Tiffany Atkinson,W.N. Herbert, Chaz Brenchley, Iain Rowan, Quentin S. Crisp, Michael Hoffman, Jay Griffiths and Ben Brooks. Mexico City. Telling the Story I. Dialogue between Paul McVeigh,Tania Hershmann and Mexican writers in Mexico City, Puebla and Querétaro. Telling the Story II. Dialogue between Joanna Walsh,Tom Lee and Mexican writers in Mexico City, Monterrey and Tijuana. Poetry Night. British poets Sir Andrew Motion and Owen Sheers in conversation.Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City. Hay Festival México. Literature festival featuring Laline Paull, Laura Bates, Jay Griffiths and Hisham Matar in Mexico City. Matt Whyman at International Book Fair in the Oaxaca.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
“It was an honour for Tate to work with our colleagues at MUNAL to take ‘Landscapes of the Mind’ to Mexico. We couldn’t have hoped for a better partner for our first museum collaboration in Mexico and we look forward to more opportunities in the future”. Nicholas Serota, Director of TATE
FILM AND MULTIMEDIA
FACTS
1.5
MILLION
people were able to enjoy the different projects of the nationwide programme.
Morelia International Film Festival. Major programme of British films including guest appearances by Stephen Frears, Peter Greenaway and Tim Roth. Morelia. Gothic Film Festival. Selection of horror films curated by the British Film Institute. Cineteca Nacional in Mexico City, Monterrey and Tijuana. Sound & Vision: New perspectives on British film. Programme of six recent auteur films from emerging directors. Mexico City. Docunexi贸n. Documentary film training programme co organised by British Council, IMCINE, Sheffield Doc/Fest, DocsDF and Ambulante. and featuring Jullian Temple. Sheffield, UK. Ambulante Documentary Festival. Including Alex Pearson and a selection of British documentaries.Tijuana and other cities. Cineteca Nacional: Films and Books. Series of films that are representative of British cinema, based on classics of UK literature. Introduced by Mexican writers. Mexico City. Watch Me Move. A journey through animation. Exhibition of the history of animated film organized by the Barbican Centre, London. Shown at MARCO, Monterrey. Transitio. Festival of Electronic Art and Video including Addictive TV, Boredomresearch, Doug Fishbone and Lisa Ma. CENART, Mexico City. Festival Kosmica. Space talks by Chris Welch, Jonathan Bonfiglio and Louise K.Wilson. Laboratorio Arte Alameda, Mexico City. Creativa Fest. Networking event for Mexican and British animation studios, including Mackinnon & Saunders and Aardman Animation. Mexico City.
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ANNUAL ANNUALREPORT REPORT2015 2015
PUBLIC SPACE Circumstance: As If It Were the Last Time. MP3 theatrical ‘subtlemob’ in the streets of Coyoacan and Centro Histórico. Mexico City. D*Face. Six-storey graffitti installation on side of hotel as part of All City Canvas programme. Mexico City. Mirar Morag Myerscough. Camera obscura installation. Zócalo, Mexico City.
TV Shakespeare and Us. Documentary in two parts shown on Canal 22. The British. Documentary in seven parts on the history of Britain shown on Canal 22. UKMX Canal 22. Regular specials on the Dual Year of UK and Mexico 2015. Mexico City.
PUBLICATIONS Museo Jumex: David Chipperfield Architects. Presented at the Mextrópoli festival. Mexico City. The Killer Cat Falls in Love. Co-publication with Fondo de Cultura Económica of Anne Fine’s children’s story, illustrated by Mexican Cecilia Rébora. Guadalajara. Do Flex Test. Bilingual book to promote dialogue between Mexican and British designer-makers. Mexico City. México20 Anthology. Selection of new voices in Mexican literature published in English by Pushkin Press and presented at the London Book Fair. Luvina 81: Brits. Special edition of the Guadalajara University literary review of contemporary British literature as part of Guadalajara International Book Fair.
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EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
11
Drawing on the resources, experience and creativity of both countries, collaborative links were strengthened that will be of long-term benefit to Mexican and British societies and institutions. Opportunities were presented for mutual academic recognition, joint research, and the exchange of knowledge between individuals and institutions. New relationships were developed that will enable future collaborations to benefit students of different academic levels. The Mexican public was able to find out more about the wide variety of educational opportunities in British universities, graduate programmes, research and teaching of English, as well as to understand what skills are needed for employment according to the social and productive demands of the modern world. The scientific exchange focused on key areas of specialized research such as medical sciences, engineering, and physical sciences. RCUK (Research Councils United Kingdom) supported joint research projects, so that Mexico could dialogue and cooperate with the British scientific community, which has one of the most important research bases in Europe. Ties were fostered in the field of innovation through a series of activities primarily supported by the Newton Fund, in such a way that both countries had a chance to find innovative solutions to local and global development problems, in both the public and private sectors.
10
More than agreements signed between institutions and governments on education in academic exchange.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
FACTS THE UK AS GUEST OF HONOUR AT THE NATIONAL WEEK OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
7 1
days.
Scientific Communication Forum with 12 Mexican scientists and British experts (Inspiring Minds).
3
Science and Technology workshops.
1
STEM Education UK Roadshow. More than
30,000 attendees.
NEWTON FUND
• 50 academic institutions and 300 researchers involved in the British Council programmes Institutional Links and Researcher Links . • The British Embassy opened 12 calls for bilateral projects with funding of nearly 40 million punds in 2015.
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EDUCATION
13
National Week of Science and Technology. Event organized by Conacyt to bring science to the public. The UK was Country of Honour and participated in a series of events, workshops, conferences and displays on outstanding aspects of British innovation, technology and sciences. Mexico City. BBELT. International conference at which the latest trends in English Language Teaching were discussed, bringing together in Mexico renowned specialists from the UK and British publishers. Education UK. Education fair organized by British Council that brought together prestigious British universities, connecting them with would-be students. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Programme of leadership and innovation in the UK for 45 scientific entrepreneurs, focused on the commercialization of science and research. Sponsored by the Newton Fund. Launch of a Project and Conference on Magna Carta. Topics included the influence of Magna Carta on international law and in particular on its influence in Latin American constitutions. With the Supreme Court of Justice and the International Bar Association. Mexico City. University Rectors Summit. Meeting in London, Puebla and Mexico City of 60 rectors of Mexican universities, who met their British counterparts. Innovation Capacity Building Programme. Sponsored by the Newton Fund to train SMEs and public servants in topics related to innovation. Going Global. Conferences and networking sessions in the world’s biggest higher education forum. London. Announcement of activities for STEM teaching in Mexico. Activities for education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Quality Control Visit. Meeting that promoted an accord on academic standards and titles, helping to identify areas of cooperation to strengthen the Mexican educational system. Mexico City. Skills for work in the energy sector. Series of workshops and conferences for representatives of government, businesses and academic institutions. Tabasco and Mexico City. Global Education Supplies and Solutions, GESS. Global summit for buyers of public and private education services. Mexico City. Magna Carta. Travelling exhibition to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. Tamaulipas, State of Mexico, Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, Tabasco, Mexico City and Veracruz. Energy Skills for Work Study Tour. Academic programme that included a visit of four days to the UK, and workshops in Mexico City and Tabasco focused principally on the energy sector. BETT Leadership Mexico 2015. Series of workshops directed at Mexican teachers, to encourage innovation in teaching, as well as technological research and educational software. Mexico City.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
FACTS
CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIPS
519 Applications.
101
Scholarships awarded 300% more than in 2014.
1
Agreement of Mutual Recognition of Academic Accreditation that will benefit more than 170,000 students from both countries.
Premier Skills Football Tournament. Through the tournament, the British Council and Premier League promoted a positive and healthy lifestyle for young people from disadvantaged communities. Mexico City. Liberteas. Meetings to discuss the Magna Carta, the rule of law, and ways to improve existing systems in Mexico and the UK. Oaxaca, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey,Veracruz and Tabasco. Autumn Roadshow 2015. Tour of 19 British universities aimed at young people who want to study at a graduate or postgraduate level in the UK. Mexico City and Puebla.
EDUCATION / BUSINESS
FACTS
MAGNA CARTA 22
Events.
60
British and Mexican experts.
7
Activities in 7 states.
STEM. Launch of a programme for the development of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) projects for software companies, providers and trainers. First Conference of Agrotechnology. Congress on innovation, science and technology in the food and agriculture sector, with a focus on promoting investment and food security. Anti-corruption Day. As part of International Anti-Corruption Day, a seminar was held to exchange experiences on the UK Anti Bribery Act and the Anticorruption Action Plan. Mexico City. IN:MX 2015 Conferences organized by The Culture Group and The Prince’s Trust to promote development of entrepreneurship and innovation with social impact. Cuernavaca, Queretaro, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City. British Education Day. Taking education in Mexico to the next level: Training, inclusion, key skills and the use of technology. Seminar in four modules at which experts in education and technology spoke about the challenges and opportunities of the educational sector. Mexico City.
“The Dual Year of the UK and Mexico 2015 is just the beginning of a mutual collaboration and partnerships in higher education and research between our two countries; it is the construction of a legacy of cooperation that will last for many years”. Vivienne Stern, Director of the International Unit of UKHE
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TRADE AND INVESTMENT
15
The focus was on promoting priority sectors, partly based on Mexico’s economic reforms, in order to generate greater interest in the products and services of both countries. A series of events and activities were organized with the aim of building on the bilateral trade and investment relationship. In addition, a significant number of British business delegations visited Mexico to participate in key sector events, such as ANTAD and the Guadalajara International Book Fair.They also participated in events in the Creative, Airports, energy and engineering and Financial Services sectors, among others. This bilateral cooperation contributed to the growth of the domestic economy, while helping to achieve economic goals.
FACTS More than
20
commercial activities.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) identified 700 commercial activities during the year and will help 1,062 British businesses.
38
contracts signed in different sectors valued at more than £241 million.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
BUSINESS Aerospace Fair Mexico. First air exhibition in Mexico featuring British businesses in the aerospace, defence and telecommunications sectors. GREAT Informational Breakfast for Investors.Informative session aimed at investors on the business opportunities offered by the UK. Oaxaca, Guadalajara and Mexico City. Visit of Lena Wilson, CEO of Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s National Economic Development Agency. Wales commercial mission. Visit by a delegation of Welsh businesses seeking to explore opportunities in the Mexican market. Innovation is GREAT Business Summit. Dedicated to advanced engineering, life sciences, petrol and gas, and renewable energy. Mexico City. Feria de las Culturas Amigas. Fair organized by the government of Mexico City in the Zócalo square, at which the UK was the Guest of Honour. British Pavilion at the Fourth Seminar on Infrastructure in Mexico. High level event that included a panel on airports. Mexico City. Business breakfast. Meeting dedicated to investment with Nuevo Leon business community, attended by the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Mexico, Baroness BonhamCarter, in Monterrey. Anticorruption dialogues. Forum for reflection with high level actors on the effects of corruption on society and business, as well as analysis of the measures that have been implemented and the existing tools to reduce the risks of corruption. Mexico City. Airports Mission. Visit to the UK by a leading shareholder in Mexican airports to present the project for the new International Airport in Mexico City. London. Visit of the Mayor of the City of London. Accompanied by a delegation of 120 business people, he visited Mexico to promote British financial services. Mexico City and Monterrey. Santander Trade Mission. A delegation of British companies seeking to explore business opportunities in the Mexican market. Mexico City. Luxury mission to Mexico. The mission was planned as part of the Luxury Lab Conference, a two-day event that included luxury tourism. Mexico City. Shell Innovation Open House. Forum for discussions about the challenges and opportunities of the future of energy.
“The aim of this flagship event is to deepen the close relations that already exist between our countries, strengthening our personal, cultural, social and economic ties”. Nick Clegg British Deputy Prime Minister
Congreso Mexicano del Petróleo. Mexico’s most important energy sector fair at which UKTI had a pavilion where British companies presented their technology. Guadalajara. Cancún Rugby Sevens International Championship. AgroBaja. Expo of the livestock, fisheries and agriculture sector, at which the UK was the Guest of Honour, with the participation of various British companies. Mexicalli. Cervefest. The UK participated as Guest Country in the festival of national and international beers, at which British brands were presented. Mexico City. Expo ANTAD. A delegation of more than 30 British companies came to Mexico City to explore business opportunities in the food and beverage industry. Press Visit. A group of British journalists visited bookstores, met authors and learned more about the literary industry in Mexico. Offshore Technology Conference. A delegation of British companies attended the world’s largest petroleum fair. Morelia en Boca. International festival of gastronomy and wine with a national and international presence, including British chefs. Morelia. Formula 1 Grand Prix of Mexico. At the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. Mexico City. Trade mission dedicated to the new airport in Mexico City. Featuring meetings with airport authorities and principal private companies in the sector. Energy Day. Participation by a delegation of British companies in a series of energy seminars. Mexico City, Villahermosa and Ciudad del Carmen.
Luxury sector trade mission. A delegation of British companies from the the luxury sector visited Mexico City to explore the Mexican market. Opening of Lloyd’s of London in Mexico. Launch of the Lloyd’s of London office during the visit of the Mayor of the City of London to Mexico City. British Healthcare Day: Global Healthcare and Mexico. Seminar at which experts addressed challenges and opportunities in the health sector. Mexico City. GREAT Mexican Investors Awards. Awards ceremony to recognize Mexican investors who invest in the UK. Mexico City. Visit to Mexico City. A delegation of London SMEs sought to explore opportunities for urban business and smart cities. Destination Britain Americas. Summit in Playa del Carmen at which 150 buyers from the travel industry of the Americas met 90 British suppliers. Green Expo. One of the most important events for the energy, environment, water and sustainable construction sectors. UKTI presented a pavilion with a delegation of British companies showcasing their technology. Mexico City.
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GUADALAJARA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2015 (FIL) 17
GUADALAJARA, JALISCO. (28th NOVEMBER – 6th DECEMBER) As part of the Dual Year, the UK was the Guest of Honour at the world’s second largest literary fair. Under the leadership of the British Council, with the support of the British Embassy, an extensive cultural, educational and business programme was developed that included a delegation of
more than 200 British guests, showcasing the best in literature, academia, visual and performing arts, and gastronomy. The pavilion, conceived by Carmody Groarke, a firm of young British architects and designers, and built with the help of Mexican professionals, was an iconic landmark in the history of the FIL and was visited by nearly 800,000 people. Its originality and functionality led to it being recognised as the best pavilion of a FIL Guest of Honour.
“This year the UK ABOUT THE PAVILION has without a doubt In order to meet the expectation of proposing an interactive space that allowed the audience to have an experience of connection with the programme, the set an important architecture firm Carmody Groarke designed the UK pavilion, creating a space standard at the FIL, with attractive and functional design, where various activities and events were with the best Guest presented in the auditorium.The structure was also used as a whole to include an art exhibition, a bookshop, publishing booths and multifunctional spaces for of Honour pavilion workshops and relaxation. we have ever had”. Raúl Padilla, LITERARY PROGRAMME delegation of authors from the UK showcased the best of 21st Century President of The British literature in all its breadth; the space was shared by novelists and the Guadalajara poets who continue to experiment with different topics and literary styles, International Book Fair while a younger generation pushes pre-defined genres to the limit, and at the same time explores new media. Also included were the digital world, spoken word and graphic novels. Prominent authors such as Irvine Welsh, Sir Andrew Motion, Sally Gardner, Owen Jones, Philippa Gregory and Jeanette Winterson were part of a delegation of 29 writers who attended the fair.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
ACADEMIC PROGRAMME
With this programme, the UK sought to create a platform of expression for academics from diverse areas who are recognized in the UK for their great track record and reputation; there was space for emerging and established voices such as Alan Knight, Elizabeth Shepherd, Will Fowler, John Dunn and Paul Garner, whose provocative works cover new areas.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME
The programme included a series of talks, panels and roundtables attended by six scientists from the United Kingdom, designed to promote British expertise in science. Roberto Trotta, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Simon Watt, Teresa Anderson and others shared their knowledge in the hope of making science more accessible to the general public and encouraging more young people to pursue studies in STEM fields. In addition, a hackathon and a workshop for children were organized with the support of Raspberry Pi and Formula 1 in Schools.
FIL NIÑOS
Shaun the Sheep and Timmy the little lamb were presented. The program included animated shorts from Aardman Studios and some fragments of the series Timmy Time, Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention.
FORO FIL
Nine nights of performing arts that captured the variety of UK’s music, dance and theatre, as well as to emphasize Britain’s multicultural and inclusive arts sector.The artists were: Spector, Peatbog Fearies, Sam Lee, Jarlath Henderson Band, Aurora Orchestra, Graeae Theatre, Little Boots, Cinematic Orchestra, Company Wayne McGregor, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, and Jazz Jamaica.
VISUAL ARTS PROGRAMME
The programme curated by the British Council showcased the work of renowned artists from the UK. It included the world premier of David Shrigley’s Lose your Mind retrospective; David Hockney’s Words and Pictures from the British Council Collection; George Blacklock and Gary Oldman’s Slipping Glimpsers; and Amanda Watkins’s photographs of the Cholombianos subculture in Monterrey.
FILM PROGRAMME
“The Other Face of the UK” presented a sample of contemporary British independent cinema, from Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and various regions of England including London. This programme was designed to raise public awareness of the national identity of the UK, showing a clear picture of the island’s diversity, as well as its richness and complexity.
GASTRONOMIC PROGRAMME
Alan Coxon, the renowned British TV chef, together with three gastronomy students from Guadalajara, cooked the official menu that was available throughout the FIL in the Los Vitrales restaurant of the Hilton Hotel.
FACTS
200 30 14 6 6 9 involved.
experts
writers.
academics.
scientists.
Inspiring Minds lectures.
nights of Foro FIL performances and more than 130 creatives involved.
1 11
chef.
filmsand 27 short films were shown in the Cineforo of the University of Guadalajara.
16
Mexican writers who collaborated on the British programme.
4 arts.
exhibitions of visual
80
talks in the UK pavilion auditorium.
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
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LEGACY 19
As a result of the success of the Dual Year of the UK and Mexico, a wide variety of programmes will continue during 2016; others will begin and most continue in 2017. In the field of Arts, activities focused on social inclusion carry on the task of creating awareness about issues related to art and disability among various Mexican cultural institutions, with the participation of the Cervantino Festival 2016 and the continuation of the project Dance in the Community in Tijuana and Monterrey. The professionalization of the cultural sector will be possible thanks to the second William Bullock Chair of Critical Museology at MUAC, curatorial training at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and a field survey to understand how the UK internationalizes the performing arts, as well as projects in collaboration with public and private institutions in Mexico in the creative economies sector, especially Digital Futures and Maker Library dedicated to young designers, and Docunexión for emerging documentary filmmakers. Following on from efforts during made 2015, there is a partnership between the Festival of Contemporary Music in Huddersfield and Cepromusic. Last but not least, 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, which will give rise to a series of events throughout the year. In Education, the Mutual Recognition of Academic Accreditation will generate undergraduate and postgraduate experts in key areas for Mexico and for the development of joint research between industry and academia in the United Kingdom and Mexico. In addition, various bilateral agreements were signed that facilitate academic mobility and the exchange of experiences between the two countries. The
ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Newton Fund will continue its contribution to the development of Mexico through capacity building programs in technology transfer, communication, and science teaching, as well as the use of innovation and research for solving problems in sectors such as health, climate change and agriculture. Meanwhile, in basic and higher education we will continue to strengthen relations between institutions in both countries, through interdisciplinary educational research projects and case studies in areas such as the evaluation of education, citizenship and social leadership. We are striving for a significant change in Trade and Investment relations between the UK and Mexico, in order that the two countries are able to reach their full potential in the coming years. Our attention will focus on key sectors and strengths of both countries; bringing innovative oil and gas companies to Mexico as well as new British luxury and fashion brands, as with the arrival of Hamleys in 2015. UK companies are in a prime position to win contracts for the construction of the new airport in Mexico City, the most important infrastructure project in the Americas; we are awaiting the arrival of the first Alexander Dennis double-decker bus, which will circulate along the Paseo de la Reforma; we will encourage high-value investments in the UK from Mexican companies, based on the success of the first range of awards in 2015 to GREAT investors. As part of the follow-up on the state visit last year, in April 2016 there will be a meeting in Mexico of CEOs from UK and Mexico, led for the UK by Mark Price, the new Minister for Trade and Investment.
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