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Ed Sheeran talking about The GREAT Festival of Creativity

Ed Sheeran was in Shanghai on 7 March on what was another stop on his whirlwind tour of the Asia Pacific region.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
Deputy Consul General Matthew Forbes (right) and Meera Saujani from British Council (left) meet with Ed Sheeran (middle) to promote British Creativity.

Deputy Consul General Matthew Forbes (right) and Meera Saujani from British Council (left) meet with Ed Sheeran (middle) to promote British Creativity.

Ed Sheeran’s Shanghai concert sold out weeks in advance.

A few days after the GREAT Festival of Creativity Ed decided to say a few words about the importance of music. The video has been viewed many times on Youku and is the perfect end to a week of cutting edge British creativity in China.

GREAT Festival of Creativity

At the GREAT Festival of Creativity British businesses showcased how they have used creativity to set themselves apart from competition.

Delegates attended seminars and panel sessions where experts in a range of business sectors shared insights into their use of innovation and discussed how they face the challenges of gaining competitive edge in the evolving global business landscape. It is expected to bring a return of £150 million to the UK economy over 5 years.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) British artists account for one in 8 albums purchased by fans around the globe. Figures published in January 2015 showed that the UK’s Creative Industries are now worth £76.9 billion per year to the UK economy.

Matthew Forbes, Deputy Consul General at the British Consulate-General in Shanghai commented:

It’s inspiring to see so many leading British and Chinese creative leaders coming together at the GREAT Festival, and the increasing number of British cultural events in China.

The GREAT Festival was delivered in partnership with private sector organisations including HSBC, BBC Worldwide, Jaguar Land Rover, PWC, IHG, British Airways, De Montfort University, Sanpower, Royal Mail, Wanda, and Diageo.

It took place in the Long Museum, Shanghai from 2 to 4 March 2015.

UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange

2015 marks a flagship year for UK-China relations with the first ever bilaterally agreed UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange.

The 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange is underpinned by a government-to-government agreement set out at the UK-China Summit in London last June. It will showcase the very best of UK culture in China and of Chinese culture in the UK.

Contacts

Contact the UKTI team in China for more information and advice on opportunities for doing business in China.

Published 13 March 2015