UK

Liverpool City Region's 10 year celebration of being named European Capital of Culture saw 2.2 million visitors and the economy boosted by £85 million, four times that of 2017's figures.

Highlights of the programme were:

China Dream – nine month season including China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors exhibition, Chinese New Year (20,000 and netting £609,611), plus two visual arts installations: Presence at St George's Hall and This Is Shanghai in the Cunard Building (garnering £407,362).

The brand new Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, the first new theatre in Brent for 39 years and set to open summer 2019, has announced the return of the National Theatre's War Horse to London from 18 October – 23 November 2019.

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre is a new, fully flexible 1,000–2,000 seat theatre being built inside the former X-Factor studios at Fountain Studios by award-winning Troubadour Theatres and will open with a summer 2019 programme to be announced soon.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has organised a UK music industry trade mission to China for 31 March – 6 April 2019 to help open the doors to business opportunities in the world’s second largest economy.

Partnered with the Association of Independent Music (AIM), British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Music Publishers Association (MPA), DIT will lead the week-long mission, taking place in Beijing. It will include a programme of education, networking, B2B meetings, conferences, showcases, music company site visits and other music related activities.

Designs for the new 2,000-seat Centre for Music concert hall conceived by the Barbican, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and London Symphony Orchestra have been revealed in a new video from architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Watch the video below.

The world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe is now worth over more than £200 million. Its value has increased by around a quarter in the last eight years boosted by a large increase in visitors.

In mid-January 2019, British Council launched the first edition of SPARK: The Science and Art of Creativity festival, taking place at Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts in Hong Kong. 

SPARK celebrates creativity across the arts, sciences and education, and offers a platform for cultural exchange between the UK and Hong Kong. With more than 30 events over three days and over 50 creative and education partners from the UK and Hong Kong, SPARK provided a series of interactive experiences, provocative performances, stimulating talks and other innovative happenings.

PRS has revealed the lineup for its 2019 New Music Biennial, returning to Hull after its debut during the City of Culture 2017 celebrations, in partnership with Absolutely Cultured, Southbank Centre, BBC Radio 3 and NMC Recordings. It will take place across two weekends on 5–7 July 2019 at London’s Southbank Centre and 12–14 July 2019 in Hull, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and available as a download by NMC Recordings following the festivals.

VisitBritain is aiming to attract inbound tourism from the US with a video and editorial content partnership with the Matador Network.

Started last month, Matador has published a combination of beautiful videos and articles written about itineraries for the UK. Itineraries include The Big Smoke, Great British City Hop, Royal Britain, Scottish Highlands By Rail, Gourmet Britain, Welsh Escape and Outdoor Adventure. The intention is to encourage "buzzseekers" to visit and take advantage of the huge cultural, heritage and outdoor experiences unique to the UK.

Five areas will share £20 million, the first government investment of its kind, from the Cultural Development Fund to increase access to arts, heritage and the creative industries, while boosting the local economy by attracting more visitors to each area and supporting the growth of new businesses.

Grimsby, Thames Estuary, Plymouth, Wakefield and Worcester will receive the funding to invest in culture, supporting economic growth and creating more than 1,300 new jobs across the country, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Deal.

British Council has now appointed Jean Cameron as Creative Director for UK/Italy Season 2020, starting in February 2019. Jean will work with British Council teams in UK and Italy, as well as directly with the UK cultural sector to create a high-impact, cost-effective season of UK cultural activity in Italy in autumn 2020.