UK National Day celebrated at Astana Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan
UK cultural events at Astana Expo on UK National Day showcased British creativity and pioneering innovation.
Harry Potter reading on UK National Day at Astana Expo 2017
UK National Day was a spectacle at the Astana Expo yesterday, 26 June 2017. British fashion was fused with theatre, music with dance, and literature with spoken word, all culminating in the celebration of the UK’s strengths and contributions to the Expo theme of ‘Future Energy’.
The day was led by HRH The Duke of Gloucester who took part in formal ceremonies to mark the occasion and attended The Queen’s Birthday Party, hosted by the British Ambassador, Dr Carolyn Browne.
A diverse and rich cultural programme of traditional and contemporary dance, performance and music took place at the Expo throughout the day. Through performances, buskers and street artists, there were references to the past and pointers to the future. Events included:
- London Contemporary Ballet Theatre performing a bespoke performance as part of the opening ceremony
- UK innovation showcasing graphene as Britain’s latest pioneering Nobel Prize winning discovery from the Physics Department of the University of Manchester
- a fashion showcase promoting up and coming UK designers
- an immersive performance celebrating Scotland and home of golf with outfits supplied by tweed manufacturer Walker Slater
- Harry Potter readings from Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone with readings in English by Newcastle born Sarah Robinson and Russian, promoting education and culture
- a bagpipes performance from John Rae who has previously performed for the Queen
- a UK National Day parade celebrating the United Kingdom and capturing the diverse energy of the nation with a carnival atmosphere
- Brassroots brass band creating a medley of iconic British songs
UK Commissioner Charles Hendry commented;
We’re delighted to demonstrate through Expo the UK’s impressive capabilities. As one of the world’s most creative nations we hope to surprise and entertain visitors to the site.
We’re also proud to illustrate why the UK is widely considered to be one of the best places in the world to invest in renewable energy, and the technology within our oil and gas sector is second to none.
Today also underlined the UK’s commitment to building collaborative and long-term partnerships in Kazakhstan and the wider region. We look forward to building on that relationship and creating strong business opportunities going forward.
The UK will participate at Astana Expo over 3 months with an ambitious cultural and business programme.
The first World Expo was held in in London 1851. The Great Exhibition was attracted nearly 6 million people and included such attractions as the world’s first voting machine and the Mountain of Light, the largest diamond in the world at the time.
Notes to editors
The UK’s participation at the 3-month long global event will highlight British expertise across the energy sector, as well as in design and technology, and promote the UK as a business partner of choice and a hub of academic excellence.
The UK is committed to energy security and to action on climate change by:
- cutting UK greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050
- sourcing at least 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020
By 2020 the majority of the UK’s renewable energy will come from:
- onshore and offshore wind
- biomass electricity
- new technologies
Follow us: @ukpavilion2017 #UKatastana.
Find more information on UK participation at Astana Expo 2017.