FINAL REPORT FROM THE WELCOME CROATIA FESTIVAL COMMITTEE: WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO We stated that we wanted through the festival to show Croatia as a place with “a history and culture going back thousands of years”, but also “a place where exciting new things happen”. We said we wanted to ‘put Croatia on the map’, and we saw the lead up to EU accession as a good time to try to do so. WHAT WE ACHIVED The festival consisted of some 30 events over the 6 months leading up to Croatia’s accession to the EU on 1st July 2013. Many people attended our receptions, openings, conferences and talks, and many more came to our exhibitions, the London Book Fair stand, read ‘Mapping Croatia in United Kingdom Collections’, heard the BBC music programme, or engaged with the festival through Facebook and Twitter. HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT? On 25th February 2011 the British-Croatian Society invited people to a meeting at the Croatian Embassy to discuss the possibility of holding a Croatian cultural festival. The Croatian ambassador welcomed the group and Sir John Ramsden, as the Chair, explained that the proposal was to create a cultural event or festival to celebrate Croatia’s accession to the EU. A committee met monthly from early 2012 to provide direction for the festival and to ensure coherence and quality. The committee consisted of representatives of AMAC, the International Trust for Croatian Monuments, the Croatian Embassy, the British Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and the British-Croatian Society. The committee coordinated the input of our many partners and supporters. We are grateful to the Friends of Welcome Croatia for their financial support and to many other organizations and individuals who helped in one way or another. WHAT DID WE DO? JANUARY 7 – 27: Launch of the Welcome Croatia festival by the Croatian Minister of Culture, Dr Andrea Zlatar Violić, at the Shared Innovation exhbition, British Council Gallery FEBRUARY 2: Dalmatian Music of the 16th – 18th Centuries, with Bojan Bujić, BBC3 Early Music Show 5 – 18: Croatia through the lens, photographic exhibition, Croatian Embassy 20 – 16 March: Trace (Mirna Krešić) art exhibition, ArtEco 25: ‘Croatian Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer as Art Collector’, Wallace Collection 25: Launch of ‘Mapping Croatia in United Kingdom Collections’, Wallace Collection 26: Presentation with HE Dr Boris Vujčić, Governor of the Bank of Croatia, INCE MARCH 13: S.DRESS, Croatian fashion, at Mooi 18: ‘Urban Planning of Trogir in the Early Renaissance’, Dr Radoslav Buzančić, Croatian Embassy 28: Žar ptica cbildrens’ theatre company present ‘The Magic World of Numbers’ at the Academy of Live & Recorded Arts APRIL 11: ‘Croatia and EU legislation’, Croatian Embassy 15 – 17: Croatian national stand at the London Book Fair, Earls Court 15 – 17: Short Shrift – Season of Contemporary Croatian Drama, RADA 16: ‘Meet the voices of modern Croatian Literature’, Keats House 17: ‘Contemporary Croatian Literature: Inside & Out’, Europe House 19: Aestas Musica Baroque Ensemble concert, Grosvenor Chapel 20 & 21: The Mozatinne Girls Choir concerts, St Vincente de Paul and Sacred Heart churches MAY 7, 14, 21 & 28: ‘Jupiter seducing Callisto’, National Gallery 10: Sir Arthur Evans in Dalmatia, Ashmolean Museum 23-25: Croatian Products & Service Fair and gala dinner, Battersea Arts Centre 30: ‘Croatian Money and Medals in the British Museum’, British Museum JUNE 3: ‘Croatian Latin Heritage’, Dr Neven Jovanović, British Library 7 – 27: Croatian contribution to the Atlas of the Unbuilt World, London Festival of Architecture, The Bartlett School of Architecture 10 – 21: ‘Continuity of the Modernity’, Croatian architecture exhibition, 160 Tooley Street (London Festival of Architecture) 10 – 26: building a Kažun, Peak District National Park (launch 5 July) 18 – 25: ‘Croatian Archaeological Heritage’, exhibition, Europe House 21: Launch of ‘The Sweet Taste of a Dalmatian Love Affair”, Croatian cookery book, Keats House 24 – 25: Croatia at the Crossroads archaeology conference, Europe House 25: Srdjan Bulat guitar concert and reception, Europe House 30: Quarter peal of bells, Christchurch in Hampstead to mark the end of the festival and Croatia’s accession to the EU SUPPORT FOR THE FESTIVAL INCLUDED: Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Croatian Ministry of Culture Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sport Croatian Embassy, London The British Council (Croatia and London) Europe House (EU Delegation) British-Croatian Society Friends of Welcome Croatia Archaeopress Peak District National Park AMAC Southwark Council ALRA (Academy of Live and recorded Arts) British Croatian Chamber of Commerce International Trust for Croatian Monuments British Croatian Business Club Istros Books Croatian Church Wallace Collection Ashmolean Museum British Library National Gallery British Museum Dr Ivan Grdešić, the Croatian Ambassador, deserves special thanks for his commitment to the Festival without which many events would not have happened. Many people gave their time and professional expertise, notably: Gordana Johnson Suzanna Dolata Adrian Johnson Julia Cassim as well as members of the festival committee – Sir John Ramsden (Chair), David Davison, Mira Malović-Yeeles, Nenad Bičanić, Flora Turner, Ana-Marija Žuvan, Tony Suchy, Jadranka Beresford-Peirse, Tihana Borovčak (Press and Public relations), Peter Elborn (Secretary).
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 13:35:47 +0000
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