Noticias
Considering the results of the Mexico-United Kingdom Dual Year in 2015
The Department of Culture and the British Council set an agreement for Shakespeare Lives in 2016
June 16, 2016The Department of Culture and the British Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signed a letter of intent in order to carry out joint activities under the Shakespeare Lives in 2016 program.
The document was ratified by Jose Luis Martinez, General Director of International Affairs, representing the Secretary of Culture of the Republic, Rafael Tovar y de Teresa, and David John Elliott on behalf of the British Council.
The General Director of International Affairs pointed out that regarding the good results of cooperation during the Mexico-United Kingdom Dual Year in 2015, the intention is to strengthen existing ties of cooperation between the two institutions.
In order to do so, actions, efforts and resources will be coordinated to support artistic and cultural activities related to this program taking place in Mexico since last April, as part of the 400th anniversary of English playwright William Shakespeare’s death.
"It is important to note that the British Council did not want to make a unilateral effort to celebrate Shakespeare; what we wanted to do and it is very important, is to contextualize Shakespeare, because we know that there is a strong tradition of studying his work and influence in Mexico”, John Elliott said.
“Three events could have been made with the company of Shakespeare, but we wanted to do more with Mexican companies in order to they are valuable for audiences and there is a reinterpretation of Shakespeare”, he added.
Shakespeare Lives in 2016 includes over 50 activities in our country, including stagings, literature sessions, film projections, artistic residencies and a concert.
There are different spaces attached to the Department of Culture as the Hellenic Cultural Center, where they are organizing the series, Sages, dreams and insanes. Homage to Shakespeare and Cervantes, 400 years, which is formed by assemblies, concerts and academic activities specialized in Elizabethan theater acting training, workshops and master classes.
In order to provide adaptations of Shakespearian dramatic texts, there is currently a presentation of the play Mendoza, based on Macbeth, at the Forum La Gruta, with performances on Fridays at 20:30 pm until August 12th.
The National Film Archive will present in this second half of the year a selection of British film based on Shakespeare, in collaboration with the British Council.
While Channel 22 will schedule throughout the year a series dedicated to Shakespeare’s work and tradition, plus several reports made by his news team in London to bring different aspects of how UK celebrates this event to the audience.
Besides the Re- listening to Shakespeare project, an innovative proposal promoted by the Mexican Center for Music and Sound Arts of Morelia (CMMAS, for its acronym in Spanish), the National Sound Archive and the British Council, through which a competition of sound pieces directed to Mexican and British artists and composers is called.
The delivery of the materials will be until September 23rd (the details of the call are available on http://fonotecanacional.gob.mx/index.php/agenda/convocatoria-re-escuchando-shakespeare).
To check the schedule of Shakespeare Lives, please visit: https://www.britishcouncil.org.mx/programas/shakespeare-lives.
Mexico,Distrito Federal
