{"id":54631,"date":"2015-03-03T12:30:02","date_gmt":"2015-03-03T12:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=b82808d17d94feabfbe1816b9a1f5512"},"modified":"2015-03-03T12:30:02","modified_gmt":"2015-03-03T12:30:02","slug":"speech-sajid-javids-speech-at-great-festival-of-creativity-announces-ratification-of-landmark-film-treaty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=54631","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Sajid Javid’s speech at GREAT Festival of Creativity announces ratification of landmark film treaty"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY<\/h3>\n

The first British attempt to build trade links with China took place as far back as 1596.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately the three ships involved, under the command of Captain Benjamin Wood, failed to reach their destination and were lost without trace.<\/p>\n

One of those ships was called The Bear. <\/p>\n

Four centuries later, British traders have once again travelled East with a bear \u2013 but this time it\u2019s one named Paddington!<\/p>\n

Much more successful than Captain Wood\u2019s ill-fated journey was the experience of the first the Chinese visitor to Britain. <\/p>\n

He was a man by the name of Shen Fu-Tsung, and he arrived in about 1685.<\/p>\n

Shen\u2019s arrival caused such a sensation that King James II didn\u2019t just demand an audience with him, he also had his portrait painted and hung it in his bedroom!<\/p>\n

Well over three centuries later that painting, by Sir Godfrey Kneller, is still a part of the Royal Collection.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if our very special guest the Duke of Cambridge has seen it! <\/p>\n

But I do know that it was shared with literally millions of visitors when it went on show at London\u2019s National Portrait Gallery.<\/p>\n

And that painting is not the only example of China finding a receptive audience in Britain\u2019s cultural life.<\/p>\n

At the Victoria & Albert Museum you can engage with more than 5,000 years of history and culture, in one of the world\u2019s largest collections of Chinese art.<\/p>\n

A spectacular Ming exhibition at the British Museum closed in January after a hugely successful run.<\/p>\n

That followed on from the sensational visit of the Terracotta Warriors, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that drew visitors from across the UK and Europe.<\/p>\n

London galleries do a roaring trade in contemporary Chinese art.<\/p>\n

A few days ago the British Film Institute hosted a night of exciting new Chinese cinema.<\/p>\n

And the annual China Visual Festival will tour the UK later this year.<\/p>\n

This cultural love affair is not unreciprocated.<\/p>\n

For many years, British art, music and drama have been winning fans in China.<\/p>\n

I know Shakespeare is particularly popular, which is why the British Government is proud to be investing \u00a31 million in a new Mandarin translation of his complete works.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, work is underway to open a design museum in Shenzhen backed by the V&A.<\/p>\n

Due to open in December next year, it\u2019s a truly pioneering international collaboration.<\/p>\n

British television is extraordinarily popular here. <\/p>\n

Huge audiences are regularly gripped by the likes of Sherlock and Downton Abbey.<\/p>\n

Local versions of British staples like X-Factor and Top Gear are enjoyed by millions of Chinese viewers.<\/p>\n

Aardman Animations, home of Wallace & Gromit, is already a big name here, and it\u2019s set to get even bigger when Shaun The Sheep is released shortly.<\/p>\n

Together Britain\u2019s creative industries are worth almost
\n\u00a380 billion to our economy.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s almost three-quarters of a trillion yuan, or about five per cent of the UK\u2019s GDP.<\/p>\n

China has a similar success story to tell.<\/p>\n

After a period of unprecedented growth, the creative sector here now contributes 3.6 per cent of GDP.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why 2015 isn\u2019t just the Year of the Sheep.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just the year of Shaun the Sheep, either! <\/p>\n

2015 is first-ever UK\/China Year of Cultural Exchange. <\/p>\n

It all kicks off here in Shanghai at the GREAT Festival of Creativity.<\/p>\n

And in the weeks and months ahead there will be many more opportunities to celebrate the creative industries of both our countries.<\/p>\n

To showcase the very best of UK and Chinese culture.<\/p>\n

To pave the way for long-term partnership and collaboration.<\/p>\n

Above all, the events taking place this year will allow us to learn from each other\u2019s successes, and find solutions to our common creative challenges.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s particularly important at this moment in time, as the Chinese economy begins to diversity from one driven by manufacturing and exports to one powered by knowledge and ideas. <\/p>\n

When China\u2019s economic growth was based on industrial expansion, it made sense to forge close relations with other industrial nations. <\/p>\n

But in this next phase, as you build a more creative, innovative economy, you need to work with creative, innovative nations. <\/p>\n

And no country fits the bill better than the UK.<\/p>\n

When great nations come together in a spirit of co-operation, great things can happen. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I was so delighted to see that the UK\/China treaty on film co-production has been ratified.<\/p>\n

The UK and China are home to two of the biggest and best film industries in the world, so both our countries have much to gain from forging closer links.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the British Government is creating a new set of Chevening scholarships for Chinese students who want to study art and design in the UK.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why a whole team from the UK government, myself included, are here to share what we\u2019ve learned about how the state can nurture creative talent. <\/p>\n

We can tell you about our tax relief programme that helped make last year the most successful ever for British film.<\/p>\n

We can tell you about the \u00a33 billion of public funding that this Government has invested in art and culture over the past five years, including half a million pounds to translate great works of Chinese literature into English.<\/p>\n

And we can tell you how we\u2019re tearing up red tape, so that that the regulatory regime works for everyone who works in the media and everyone who consumes it.<\/p>\n

Some of our most creative, most innovative businesses are here too.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve already heard of big names like the BBC.<\/p>\n

But our creativity isn\u2019t limited to famous television programmes. <\/p>\n

So we\u2019ve also brought smaller firms as diverse as Saville Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes and range-makers Aga.<\/p>\n

Their products don\u2019t have much in common, and the companies themselves have very different histories.<\/p>\n

But, like all the British businesses gathered here in Shanghai, they are powered by creative minds that allow them to be world leaders in their fields.<\/p>\n

And they\u2019re here to share what they know and explore new ways of working together. <\/p>\n

Because in an interconnected world the key to success is international co-operation and understanding. <\/p>\n

And when we share our ideas about art and culture, the benefits are magnified.<\/p>\n

Such an exchange isn\u2019t just good for the bottom line, it also boosts our understanding of each other\u2019s nations.<\/p>\n

It allows us to see a little of each other\u2019s lives, to base our impressions on facts rather than out-dated assumptions.<\/p>\n

And when we better understand each other, we can better do business together.<\/p>\n

That exchange of ideas and cultures began with Shen Fu-Tsung\u2019s visit more than three centuries ago. <\/p>\n

This festival, and this year of events, will help it to continue for many more years to come. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has announced the ratification of UK\/China film co-production treaty in his speech at the GREAT Festival of Creativity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=54631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=54631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=54631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=54631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}