United Kingdom Launches 'GREAT Calling' to Showcase Modern British Culture

NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Kingdom is bringing the best of its culture to life in America this Spring with a lineup of one-of-a-kind experiences connecting Americans to modern Britain in a new way. Today, the UK launches 'GREAT Calling,' supported by Barclays, a culture campaign with a series of unique and immersive events in New York City throughout the month of March, that aims to change the way Americans see the UK.  

Kicking off March 1, red British telephone booths will pop up across New York City where passersby can answer the call to win tickets to one of several unique, curated events that offer a fresh perspective on British cultural cornerstones of food, innovation, sports and music. The immersive events include the World's First AI Banquet, an immersive Premier League matchday experience, cooking with Great British Baking Show winner, Nadiya Hussain, and intimate music shows with rising British talent.

Today also sees UK celebrities debunk some of the myths and misconceptions about the UK, challenging those in the US to see the world differently in a new, light-hearted film. Chef Gordon Ramsay, actor Hugh Bonneville, World-Champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and former England soccer player Rio Ferdinand join a host of other stars to show that the UK has far more to offer than just tea and castles.

"People have often asked me 'What does Global Britain mean?'" commented Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States. "We're proud to be launching the GREAT Calling campaign for people to see for themselves all that a truly global Britain has to offer by bringing British culture to life in the US." 

The campaign launches as the results of the 2022 GREAT British Culture Survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign, reveal many Americans have much more to learn about the UK.

Key findings of The 2022 GREAT British Culture Survey: 

• In the world of music, less than a third of Americans (29%) recognized Harry Styles' British roots and less than half (42%) recognized David Bowie as a UK artist. In fact, only one in ten (10%) knew that Billboard chart topper Dua Lipa was born and bred in the UK.
• Soccer is one of the world's most popular sports, but nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) had only first heard/learned about the English Premier League from the popular TV show, Ted Lasso.
• British food has unfairly suffered a lack of love across the world, so it is perhaps unsurprising that only 2 in 10 Americans (21%) believe that London and New York have the same number of 3-Michelin starred restaurants.

Those that answer the call can win tickets to one of the following events:

Live cookalong with Nadiya Hussain (Thursday, March 3)
GREAT Calling is bringing modern British cuisine to New York with renowned cook Nadiya Hussain, 2015 winner of The Great British Baking Show. Nadiya will host the GREAT British Cookalong where attendees will learn fresh, creative and tasty recipes and get to cook side-by-side with Nadiya.

World's First AI Banquet (Wednesday, March 9)
In partnership with Bompas & Parr, the leading experts in multi-sensory experience design, Dr. Shama Rahman, AI scientist and creator, GREAT Calling is hosting "The World's First AI Banquet" inviting attendees to dine with iconic British figures, including William Shakespeare, Mary Seacole, Charles Darwin and Agatha Christie, where they will have engaging, interactive and authentic conversations with innovators of Britain's past, using the power of today's AI.

Immersive Premier League matchday experience (Saturday, March 12)
Soccer is more than just a game across the UK. The English Premier League, which celebrates its 30th anniversary later this year, connects fans and players from around the world, from all walks of life. GREAT Calling is bringing a uniquely diverse – and authentically British – matchday experience to New York for the Manchester United FC vs. Tottenham Hotspur FC match. The iconic Premier League Trophy, as well as Premier League legends Ian Wright and Michael Carrick, will be on hand for fan photos.

British music showcase (Throughout March)
GREAT Calling is partnering with Sofar Sounds, British born music experience platform, to showcase exciting and emerging talent coming out of the UK through a series of intimate gigs across Manhattan.

With these events, GREAT Calling aims to give US audiences a taste of British culture in advance of an exciting year for the UK. In June, the UK hosts The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, celebrating her 70 years on the throne. The UK invites Americans to visit Britain for unique and surprising experiences including Unboxed, a groundbreaking celebration of creativity taking place in 2022, the 75th year of the Edinburgh International Festival and the 100^th anniversary of the BBC. VisitBritain, the national tourism agency for the United Kingdom, has launched its global campaign 'Welcome to Another Side of Britain,' which invites audiences to come and experience these major events as well as Britain's dynamic cities and the unexpected experiences to be had while visiting.

The UK is the US's closest ally. The people of the UK and the US have shared values, shared ambitions, and shared challenges. The US is the UK's largest single bilateral trading partner and the UK supports more jobs in America than any other country in the world, with more than 1.2 million people in America working for British businesses. Over 5,000 US companies traded with the UK in 2018, and 88% of these companies were SMEs.

"We are delighted to partner with GREAT for their upcoming campaign to promote the very best the United Kingdom has to offer," commented Tom Corbett, Group Head of Sponsorships and Media, Barclays Bank. "As a British universal bank, we are as at home in New York as we are in London. And, as we celebrate 20 years of partnership with the Premier League, we are excited to bring a football matchday experience to New York, allowing Americans to experience real British culture."

For more information on the GREAT Calling campaign, including how to experience these interactive events, please visit: greatcampaign.com/greatcalling or follow the campaign on Twitter and Instagram using #GREATCalling.

About GREAT
The GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign (GREAT) is the UK's international promotional program. It works closely with UK businesses, not-for-profit organizations and high-profile figures to promote the very best of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, encouraging the world to visit, study, live and do business with the UK.

About The 2022 GREAT British Culture Survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of GREAT Calling from January 11-13, 2022 among 2,056 U.S. adults ages 18+, and from January 27-31, 2022 among 2,045 U.S. adults ages 18+. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

About Barclays
Barclays is a British universal bank.  We are diversified by business, by different types of customer and client, and geography.  Our businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by our service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group.

SOURCE GREAT Campaign