Calendar of UK@SPb events

2002 in Saint-Petersburg

"The British in St Petersburg": a photographic competition and exhibition (25 July 2002 for one month). Photographers, professional and amateur submitted photographs of places or people connected with Britain in the past or present. The jury included Dr Piotrovsky and HMCG, Barbara Hay. The St Petersburg partner is City Museum Foundation and the exhibition was held on the battlements of St Peter and Paul Fortress.

Earth Balloon event and Environment week: the Field Studies Council UK are working with the City Education Committee and others to develop an "Education for Sustainability Strategy" for the city. During the week 23-30 September 2002 the Earth Balloon, a huge structure around 10 metres in diameter, was in SPb and was used for exciting launch events for the strategy of each of the stakeholder groups. The launch was on 24 September 2002.

The Manchester brass quartet, Tubalate, visited SPb to participate in the Conservatoire Festival in the first week of October 2002. They gave concerts of contemporary music composed specially for them and two master-classes, as well as a seminar on the organisation of the work of a brass quartet.

"The Rape of Lucretia" (Britten): the European Opera Centre (EOC), based in Manchester, will take their production of this Britten opera to the Hermitage Theatre on 17 and 18 October 2002. Although the Centre is European-funded, the fact that it is located in Manchester gives it a special resonance for the UK.

The EOC is also taking John Casken, a contemporary composer, to SPb for a concert (27 October 2002) and workshops.

The UK@SPb website and programme will be launched on 23 October in the International Press-Centre in Saint-Petersburg. A supplement to the English-language newspaper St Petersburg Times is published on October 22.

"Boris Godunov" the hugely successful Declan Donellan production of Pushkin's play with Russian actors has been seen in Moscow and London, but never in SPb. It will come to the city 15-17 November 2002.

2002 in UK

BEARR Trust Seminar for NGOs working in St Petersburg has taken place in Manchester, with a civic reception on the evening of 15 October 2002 and the seminar the next day (16 October 2002). British Airways has provided a ticket for the guest lecturer Ms. Rosa Khatskelevich from Saint-Petersburg NGO Development Centre.

Children's Embassy - an exchange programme organised by the Hermitage Rooms in London between a London school (Archbishop Lanfranc in Croydon) and the Hermitage Education Centre in SPb. The Croydon children visited SPb in March and the Hermitage children come to London 14-20 October 2002.

UK@SPb Programme Launch - planned for 13 November 2002 in the Russian Embassy in London.

Konevets concert - On 17 November 2002 this popular vocal quartet from Saint-Petersburg will give a morning concert at the Wallace Collection in London.

2003 in Saint-Petersburg

Arts Managers course: this very successful programme (managed by Visiting Arts in London) has now been running for 3 years. Russian young arts managers come to the UK for a period of study and placements in UK organisations. 10-14 March a gathering of alumni from all 3 courses and all over Russia is planned for St Petersburg.

Exhibition of Video Art: the first exhibition "Black Box" was very successful and another one is planned for February-March 2003

British Science week: planned to follow the UK Science Week in March 2003, the Science Week in SPb will include an interactive exhibition, a possible lecture and round table on genetics/genethics and a Young Scientist competition.

New British Cinema: People's Choice - a variation on the annual Festival of New British Film. Petersburgers will be asked to vote for their favourite new British film, which will then be screened. The Festival will be in April 2003, rounding off in September.

Concert with Saint-Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra: to be conducted by Sian Edwards, soloist Barry Douglas, the pianist who won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1986. The concert is planned for 13 May 2003 in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic.

Manifesto Foundation for Architecture (Edinburgh) is planning a series of events to include:
i. an exhibition of the work of 8 of Scotland's best architectural practices. Venue to be decided;
ii. one of the 8 practices, Zoo, is a firm of young, socially committed architects from Glasgow. In 1999, when Glasgow was City of Architecture and Design, they created 2 'pocket parks', open spaces (wasteland) between buildings which they turned into 'adventure playgrounds' both for the local youth and with their help. A proposal has been accepted by the SPb City Administration that a similar project be executed in one of 2 SPb districts as the UK 'present' to the city. Reaction has been very positive and a site has been identified in the Kalinin district. Zoo are currently preparing workshops and their exhibition. They plan to visit SPb in October 2002 (to coincide with the launch).

Presentation of World Ship Trust Award 2003 to the cruiser "Avrora": the Trust awards a prize annually to the person or organisation that has done the most to preserve a historic ship. The prize is usually presented by the Head of State. Letters have been sent to Governor Yakovlev, Admiral Kuroyedov and other Russian Navy figures asking for their support in approaching President Putin to ask him to present the award at the end of May 2003. The Governor has indicated his support for the initiative.

Environmental Newspaper Competition: Field Studies Council, ASEKO (Russian Association for Environmental Education) and the London Initiative for the Russian Environment are planning an Environmental Newpaper Competition with the winning team coming to London to take part in various activities, including doing some work in the BBC Russian Service.

Manchester week is planned for 30 June 2003. Various events are planned including Arts for Health (work in local hospitals), Manchester Art on the Fontanka (in the Gisich Gallery), club scene music played in SPb clubs, Manchester Camerata and Kalinka Balalaika Orchestra visits. Tubalate Brass Quartet is planning to visit SPb again and other events, such as street theatre, are under consideration.

The English Speaking Union will be holding its annual Board Meeting in SPb at the end of June.

An online debate is planned between SPb and London on 1 July 2003, with ESU professionally -trained debaters in both cities.

"The British in St Petersburg": the winners of the British competition in 2002 will be included in the Winners' Exhibition at the Fortress, May - July 2003.

Edinburgh Youth Orchestra will visit SPb at the end of their Baltic tour in July 2003, 19-22 July 2003. They will be accompanied by international soloists Evelyn Glennie, percussionist, and Tommy Smith, jazz saxophonist. New works have been commissioned for this tour by the Scottish Arts Council and Evelyn Glennie will give concert for young people with special needs.

George Watson's College Band (bagpipes and drums): this school orchestra, the European champions, travels frequently. 14-22 July 2003 they are intending to visit SPb where they will play in open air spaces.

"The Battle of the Sexes": a series of readings given by a well-known and much loved British acting husband and wife team, Timothy West and Prunella Scales. To take place in the Kapella (to be confirmed) and at the Theatrical Institute, with a masterclass. Planned for October 2003

NEVA 2003 International Shipping and Offshore Exhibition - a regular event which takes place in St. Petersburg every other year.

2003 in UK

2003 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Sergei Prokofiev and a series of events, to include an academic conference and several concerts, is planned in Manchester in January 2003 (conference) and throughout the year.

Ensemble Productions is planning a series of concerts to include: · 12 January (QEH) Russian New Year Gala
· 24 April (Wigmore Hall): Dmitrii Khvorostovsky recital, with part of it dedicated to SPb
· 7 and 8 May (Royal Albert Hall): Ballet Gala "Stars of St Petersburg Ballet"
· 28 May (St John's Smith Square, London): Russian Chamber Orchestra of London: a programme of St Petersburg music

A seminar on Russian Contemporary Art is to be held at various venues in London inc. Whitechapel Gallery and Tate Modern at the end of February 2003. Several visiting speakers will be invited from Russia.

"UK and Russia" is a publication planned for March 2003. Articles will be in English and in Russian. This publication is to celebrate the tercentenary of Saint-Petersburg and 450th anniversary of diplomatic relations between UK and Russia.

Luke & A Gallery is planning a photographic exhibition at Leighton House (15 April - 2 May) "Black and White St Petersburg"

In period 7-23 March The Philharmonia Orchestra is giving a series of concerts with a Russian theme (Prokofiev and Shostakovich) and many Russian artists on the South Bank. The South Bank Centre/Philarmonia Festival "300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg" with Valery Gergiev and Tukhan Sokiev will be on 22 and 29 April 2003.