The BBC Is Back!
Revival
It was heart-warming to see old and new members of the British Business Club gather at Chicago Prime on May the 23rd at Chicago Prime to re-start the Club. To much applause, Luke Conner, the new President said that: “we had a slight hiatus as a club, caused by the financial crisis, the sanctions, the rouble crisis, the lack of expats in Moscow, and everything that comes with that. We are going to rejuvenate the club with a completely different philosophy. We’ve got free membership, and anybody of any nationality can join. Our focus is that we are a business and social networking club for anybody who has interest in doing trade between Russia and the UK. We are going to focus a bit more on cultural events. …When you are in a position like mine, it is difficult because a lot of people say, “Let’s do this” and “Let’s do that”. This is rather difficult to do with no money. But the sponsors are amazing, they have all shown willingness to support us, as tonight shows…” Luke then thanked the main sponsors: Elite Educational Development; Key Investments; Launer Bespoke; Lowlands Accounting Services; the Forged Club; Voerman; Castlereagh International LP; Sartoria Ferreni; Conner & Company; and then the prize sponsors: Kelly Cost Management; Chicago Prime; the Expat Salon; Chugunny Most and the Forged Club. Mr. Conner also thanked MeL (Moscow expat Life) as the BBC’s valued media partner!
‘Season of Change’
The following week, on May the 29th, the BBC showed that it really is taking on a wider profile. Business people met High Culture at a unique, quite amazing evening of ballet, classical music, fine wines and philanthropy at the Projection Dance Studio near Kursky Station. Even though a hurricane had whipped up trees, cars and tragically people, only a few hours before the event, the turnout was good, and the event raised in excess of RUB 100,000 for the charity Big Change, which helps disadvantaged children to progress to further and higher education.
Those who attended were treated to a full repertoire of classical music, including works by Henry Purcell, Antonio Vivaldi and Giuseppe Tartini, performed by the Globus Music Ensemble, starring the solo British/Danish violinist Emma-Marie Kabanov. The music was illustrated by an international dance collective which starred the American Prima Ballerina from the Kremlin Ballet Theatre, Joy Womack and Tashkent-born Amir Salimov, also currently at the Kremlin Ballet Theatre.
By coming to this event, new and old members of the BBC perhaps endorsed the idea that we expats do need to venture out into the larger cultural world that is a place called Russia.
