Friday, 11 May 2012
PN37/2012
11 May 2012
British Business Embassy to spotlight the best of UK creativity
The British Business Embassy, developed by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), is the centrepiece of the Government’s international business legacy programme. It will see over 3,000 UK and international business leaders from across the globe come together for an ambitious series of global, sector and country summits.
Taking place at the world-renowned Lancaster House, the Embassy will stage a host of world class speakers including Christine Lagarde, Eric Schmidt, Sir Jonathan Ive, Howard Stringer and Daniel Ek.
The 19th century Lancaster House will be transformed to showcase modern art and design from both new and established designers, photographers, furniture makers, and sculptors, as well as displaying the very best in sound art and visual installations.
Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Green said: “Lancaster House is a unique venue that will showcase the very best of British capability to international companies - and demonstrate that the UK should be their first stop when looking to boost business.
"We will champion key sectors where British companies shine. These will include energy, the creative industries, technology, life sciences, infrastructure, global sports and advanced engineering."
A total of 18 rooms at the British Business Embassy have been curated to highlight the talents of British or British trained designers and manufacturers. Direction was overseen by a creative panel, chaired by design leader and UKTI Business Ambassador Sir John Sorrell alongside Diana Yakeley, President of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID).
Sir John Sorrell said: “The Games will ensure the eyes of the world are on London – the world’s creative hub. The British Business Embassy will provide an elegant and exciting environment in which international leaders will come to do business, whilst at the same time showcasing the breadth of our creative industries.”
The British Business Embassy will also benefit from an art re-hang overseen by Penny Johnson from the Government Art Collection and Iwona Blaswick from the Whitechapel Gallery, whilst the Crafts Council have curated a selection of contemporary work from across the UK.
Among the designers, artists and manufacturers loaning items and contributing to the Embassy is Lee Broom, judged Designer of the Year at the British Design Awards 2011. The Lee Broom Gold Room will feature pieces from the designer’s most iconic collections. The room will reflect the designer’s commitment to the country’s heritage as his work exemplifies the best of Britain. All of the products in the room have been designed in Lee’s East-End studio and manufactured in the UK.
Jason Bruges Studio has provided the installation ‘Mirror Mirror’. Heatherwick Studio presents the world's first ever extruded piece of furniture, created in association with contemporary art gallery, Haunch of Venison. Italian design company, Moroso contributes furniture collections Supernatural designed by Ross Lovegrove and Victoria and Albert designed by Ron Arad. Allermuir contributes the Pearson Lloyd inspired Conic range whilst British design duo Assemblyroom will be supplying two of their Finsbury sofas for the Sate dining room.
Others designers and contributors include Paul Smith for Conran and the Rug Company, Barder Osgerby and Jasper Morrison for Vitra, Sir Terence Conran and Sean Sutcliffe for Benchmark and Foster & Partners for Lumina.
And architects Waugh Thistleton has been commissioned to design and oversee the construction of a temporary Pavilion in the grounds of Lancaster House. The timber Pavilion will act as the key function space for the Embassy for the entire programme and will be a central point for delegates
Modern, visionary menus and food presentation, using locally sourced and sustainable produce will be on offer for delegates and speakers throughout the Embassy's programme.
The project is being designed, curated and delivered with support by event and brand experience agency innovision.
Media contact
For more information on the Global Investment Conference and Global Sector and Country Summits, or to request images please contact Rosetta Buahin on +44 (0) 207 215 8530 or email rosetta.buahin@ukti.gsi.gov.uk
End
Notes to editors
The British Business Embassy at Lancaster House is the centrepiece of UK Trade & Investment’s international business legacy programme during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
It will play host to 18 global business summits across six weeks providing thought-leadership and panel sessions, networking opportunities and face-to-face meetings for senior British and international decision-makers.
The programme, which will start on the eve of the Olympic Games, is part of a series of initiatives expected to generate over £1bn in trade and investment for the UK. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy - acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. For more information on UKTI, visit www.ukti.gov.uk or telephone +44 (0)207 215 8000. For latest press releases, visit the online newsroom at www.ukti.gov.uk/media.
Innovision is an award-winning event and brand experience agency, dedicated to creating unique and iconic experiences that dynamically connect with people in live and digital environments. Renowned for events of every scale for public, private and high profile audiences that that are world-class, we combine strategic excellence and creative innovation with high production values, seamless project management and complex logistics.
innovision is extremely proud of its client list and, as well a large amount of Olympic 2012 related projects, creates work for leading UK and global businesses such as, BBC, UK Government, Greater London Authority, Siemens, Vodafone, Lloyds Banking Group, Pirelli, Fiat, Red Bull, Puma, Bacardi and Cadbury.
Jason Bruges Studio has provided the installation ‘Mirror Mirror’. The studio, based in London, produces innovative installations, interventions and ground-breaking works. The studio is particularly well known for light based design, exploring interactivity with the public and the environment, through the highly imaginative use of materials and technologies.
Heatherwick Studio presents the world's first ever extruded piece of furniture, created in association with contemporary art gallery, Haunch of Venison. The pieces combine sleek, graceful lines with random, gnarled endings and unique swirling forms created through the termination of the extrusion process in the making of the benches.
The Heatherwick Studio is known for its adventurous and original use of manufacturing processes and materials across the disciplines of architecture, art and design.
Italian design company, Moroso contributes furniture collections Supernatural and Victoria and Albert . Since 1952, MOROSO has been creating furniture with well known designers, among those British based include; Ron Arad, Ross Lovegrove, Tord Boontje & Doshi Levien.
The Victoria and Albert collection, by Ron Arad, boasts elegant forms uniting design and function for the benefit of everyday use.
Supernatural, by Ross Lovegrove, is a new naturalism based on studies of new materials, applications and production methods.
Allermuir contributes the Pearson Lloyd inspired Conic range. The furniture collection’s versatility make it ideal for a number of applications throughout the building. Conic is a classic representation of the diverse range of design from the Allermuir Brand synonmous with high quality contemporary design all manufactured in the UK.
Waugh Thistleton’s timber Pavilion will act as a key function space for the Embassy constructed off site by a team of specialist joiners, Insulshell - formerly Wood Newton. The design proposal is a simple composition of an elongated timber floor plate with a low profile timber roof, supported by a number of slender columns to the perimeter of the floor.
Appendix of Creative Panel
The creative approach within Lancaster House is under the auspices of a Creative Panel made up of the following highly respected professionals:
Sir John Sorrell, CBE
Sir John’s 40 year career in design began with the formation of one of Europe’s biggest and most successful design businesses, Newell and Sorrell. Sir John was appointed CBE in 1996 and was awarded the Royal Society of Arts Bicentenary Medal in 1998. He holds four Honorary Design Doctorates, an Honorary Design Fellowship, is an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy and was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2002. John was awarded a Knighthood in the 2008 New Year Honours List for services to the Creative Industries.
Sir Alan Collins
Sir Alan was the British High Commissioner in Singapore, where he played a leading part in securing London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics. He remains Managing Director for the Olympic Legacy team.
Caroline Rush
In 2003 Caroline Rush set up Crush Communications, a boutique agency aimed at providing results driven campaigns for lifestyle clients, and in 2007 Crush Communications was appointed by the British Fashion Council to become the press office for all BFC initiatives, including London Fashion Week and British Fashion Awards. In 2009, Caroline joined the BFC directly as CEO.
Rosy Greenlees
Rosy spent the first half of her career as a visual arts curator. Since then she has worked in senior cultural management roles: as Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Visual and Media Art for Eastern Arts Board. In 2006, Rosy became Executive Director of the Crafts Council - the national agency for the promotion of contemporary craft. Rosy is a Board member of Creative and Cultural Skills and a Fellow of the RSA.
Ed Vaizey, MP
Edward Vaizey is the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, and Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency of Wantage. A former barrister, he left the law in 1996 and became the director of a highly successful public relations company based in London. In 2004, he left to become the chief speech writer for the then Leader of the Opposition, Michael Howard.
Sir Mark Jones
Sir Mark Jones is a British art historian and museum director. In 1992 he was appointed director of the National Museums of Scotland, and here he gained a high reputation. He oversaw the creation in 1998 of the Museum of Scotland, which went on to win 22 prizes for its displays and a Stirling Prize nomination for its building. From 2001-2011, he was director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Sir Mark was knighted in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to the arts, and took up the post of Master of Saint Cross College, Oxford, in September 2011.
Penny Johnson
In 1997, art historian Penny Johnson was appointed Director of the Government Art Collection, which today contains over 13,500 works of art, mainly by British artists ranging from the 16th century to the present day. The role of the GAC is to promote Britain and its artistic achievements. In 2009, Penny was included in the New Year honours list and awarded the CBE.
Colin Watson
Managing Director of the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA) and Managing Director of the Interior Design Association (IDA) Colin is an expert in marketing, as well as design. For five years, he was Managing Director of designers Luke Hughes & Company and joined the BCFA in 2007 to lead the team in expanding the services provided by the Association. A keen supporter of design in all its forms, he was keen to improve the representation for Interior Designers, which led to the establishment of the IDA in 2009.
Sir Paul Smith
In 1997 he was invited to join the UK government’s Creative Industries Taskforce, an advisory body composed of leading figures in the creative industries, and was knighted in the Queen’s 2001 Birthday Honours List. Sir Paul has a long association with the British Design Museum and British Council, and has presented their Great Brits show (an exhibition of new British design) three times since 2003. He was also on the Selecting Committee for 25/25 - Celebrating 25 Years of Design exhibition at the Design Museum in 2007. An icon in the world of British fashion design, for 40 years Sir Paul Smith has surprised the fashion business by offering classic British tailoring with a striking, progressive twist.
Iwona Blaswick
Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, Iwona’s experience as a curator began at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, before working independently for museums and major public arts projects in Europe and Japan, devising surveys of contemporary artists, commissioning new works of art, and working as Commissioning Editor for Contemporary Art at Phaidon Press. She was appointed OBE in the 2008 New Year Honours list. Iwona has sat on prize juries for the Turner Prize, the Jerwood Painting Prize, and the Wexner Prize.
Baron Tony Hall
Tony Hall has been chief executive of the Royal Opera House since 2001. During his time at the ROH, Tony has set up ROH2, a department devoted to supporting new artists and developing new audiences. In 2005, Hall was appointed a CBE; on 19 March 2010, he was created a life peer with the title Baron Hall of Birkenhead, and on 22 March 2010, he was introduced in the House of Lords, where he sits on the Crossbenches.
Prof. Tim Molloy
Tim Molloy is Creative Director at the Science Museum and has been responsible for developing the ambitious new phase of the Museum’s master plan: the ‘Museum of the Future’. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and visiting Professor at the University of the Arts, London, Tim was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Art in 2005. Tim sits on the Exhibitions Advisory Board at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), and on the executive board at Design and Art Direction (D&AD, formerly known as British Design & Art Direction), representing Education.
Christine Losecaat
Christine Losecaat is retained as Creative Industries Adviser to UK Trade & Investment. In this capacity, she is tasked with the development and implementation of an international trade development and inward investment strategy for the British creative sector. She is also tasked with advising on the Programme, Content and Overlay for the British Business Embassy at Lancaster House. She has extensive experience of working in the creative sector having started her career in advertising before moving into the music industry and then becoming an Emmy® Award winning producer. Christine is Managing Director of Little Dipper and she is a Fellow of the RSA.
Diana Yakeley
Former chairman of the British Interior Design Association, Diana is Interior Design Director of Yakeley Associates Architects. Her work covers all aspects of high end contemporary design, both commercial and luxury residential, in the UK and abroad. Past interior work has included Crown Courts, offices for international clients, private houses and apartments as well as an award winning corporate jet. Diana has also written books on interiors and planting, as well as conservatories, which have been sold worldwide. In 2008 she received the Association’s Award of Merit, is a Past President of the BIDA and Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, FCSD. Current projects include a major conference centre, several prestigious penthouses both in London and abroad, as well as work to listed buildings and city gardens. Diana has also co authored the BIID Interior Design Job book, published by RIBA in 2010. She is currently the president of The British Institute of Interior Design
-
Share this
- Delicious
- Digg
- reddit
- StumbleUpon
- Facebook
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
Email this Print this