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Crossing the River UK China

‘Crossing the River’ is a new initiative developed by the Creative Economy team at the British Council in partnership with Nesta and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The project aims to demonstrate the ways UK cultural organisations are using digital platforms to engage with new audiences and share their creative output globally, and the research which is informing activity and investment in this field.

The Literary Platform was one of a number of cultural organisations invited to join the forum on artform innovation, audience development and new business models in the digital age, meeting digital agencies and participating in events in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2013. Other organisations included Tate, Royal Shakespeare Company, Roundhouse, Sage Gateshead, Culture24 and Philharmonia Orchestra.

Building on the success of the UK Now 2012 festival – the largest festival of British arts and creative industries ever held in China – ‘Crossing the River’ is a focus on creative economy development in China.

A key element of the tour was the Sino-UK Creative Economy forum in Beijing in March 2013, ‘Arts and Cultural Organisations in the Digital Age’, hosted by the British Council and co-organised with the China Millennium Monument Museum of Digital Arts (CMoDA).

The delegates will present their recent digital work,  take part in discussions and panels, and share views on methodologies and developments in the field.

In addition to the forum, the delegation will visit cultural organisations, meet digital agencies and attend networking events in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The recent Nesta report –  ‘Crossing the River by Feeling for Stones’ – suggests that there are strong opportunities for the UK’s creative industries to increase their collaborative work in countries like China and develop bigger audiences for UK content.

You can read the Download the Nesta report, ‘Crossing the River by Feeling for Stones’ here.

As a result of the British Council trip, TLP Collective is now working with Nesta on the Found in Translation Project an experiment to see how to propel the work of British writers into the heart of China’s thriving social networking scene.