Ninagawa's Kabuki Twelfth Night 2009
Traditional Kabuki theatre performance of Twelfth Night, directed by Yukio Ninagawa
Project date: 2009
In 2005, Yukio Ninagawa first directed a Kabuki production of Twelfth Night in Tokyo. The performance was critically acclaimed and is now being toured to spread the experience of Kabuki theatre to UK audiences. HSBC is supporting the London performances at the Barbican.
Bringing together the traditional Japanese theatre with the historic work of Shakespeare is an excellent demonstration of how different art-forms can encourage deeper understanding between cultures.
Yukio Ninagawa made his debut as a director in 1969. Since then, he has directed a wide range of work from Japanese drama to global classics, including Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies. His work is enduring and famed for its high production values.
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UK-Japan 2008
Celebrating 150 years of Anglo-Japanese relations
Project date: 2008
The British Embassy and British Council are staging UK-Japan 2008, a year-long festival of events, performances and exhibitions that celebrate the best of the creative, contemporary and collaborative and HSBC is a principle sponsor of the event.
2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which formed the basis for diplomatic relations between Japan and the United Kingdom.
Talking at the official launch of the project in November 2007, Sir Graham Fry, British Ambassador to Japan, said "We are very pleased to have HSBC supporting UK-Japan 2008. Through this event we wish to foster collaboration between the two countries and I believe there is a great deal of potential in bringing together our knowledge, expertise, imagination and creativity."
Some of the standout events from the UK-Japan 2008 calendar include
• A tour by the Royal Shakespeare Company
• A series of contemporary Noh plays written and directed by Hideki Noda and supervised by Mansai Nomura
• A Turner Prize retrospective at Mori Art Museum
• An exhibition celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin at the National Science Museum in Ueno
• A nationwide tour by the London Symphony Orchestra
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