© Swiss Embassy

Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi delighted audiences across the UK in the annual tour of the Swiss Ambassador’s Award Concert. Piemontesi played at London’s Wigmore Hall (Oct 26), Manchester Cathedral (Oct 27) and Edinburgh’s St. Cecilia’s Hall (Oct 28) in a recital of works by Bach, Schumann, Liszt and contemporary Swiss composer Fabio Tognetti. The concerts were organised under the auspices of the Swiss Cultural Fund in Britain. Speaking ahead of the Wigmore Hall concert in London, Ambassador Anton Thalmann said: "An evening like tonight is a typical example of one of the missions of the Swiss Cultural Fund in Britain, which aims to promote fresh talent at outstanding venues in Britain."

 Francesco Piemontesi
 Swiss Cultural Fund in Britain

© Stephanie Schaerer

 
Ambassador Anton Thalmann paid tribute to the energy and commitment of young people working in social inclusion projects across the UK as he presented the first ever “Swiss Award” skills bursary to proud winner Lee Park.

Lee, 23 from Boscombe near Bournemouth, was selected by a panel of experts for his project “Life’s A Beach!” which aims to inspire young people to take pride in their local seafront and work towards qualifications as lifeguards and surfing coaches.

“The judges were most impressed with how this original project meets local needs and offers tangible results and goals for the participants. I hope you’ll all agree it’s a worthy winner of the Swiss Award,” Ambassador Thalmann said.

The Swiss Award marks the culmination of the Embassy’s involvement with the BBC’s “Your Game” project which offers assistance and support to young people in socially deprived areas across the UK, allowing them to develop themselves further through sporting activities as well as access to training and funding opportunities.

As part of the project, specially-selected "All Stars Ambassadors" have travelled to Switzerland to learn more about the opportunities that exist there for young people to broaden their skills and make best use of their talents.
 All Stars Ambassadors

The celebration took place in the Embassy’s celebrated garage where guests saw at first hand the unique collection of Banksy graffiti exhibits which adorn the walls, and where the England-Switzerland qualifying match for the Euro 2012 championships was broadcast live from the St. Jakob Park in Basel.

All Stars from previous years joined MPs and Swiss footballers Pascal Zuberbühler and Kerim Frei, currently at Fulham, to watch the game in what Ambassador Thalmann called “an evening of football and friendship”.

© Swiss Embassy

Young Swiss designers showed how innovation and tradition are two sides of the same coin at a groundbreaking exhibition of graphic art and contemporary design at London’s A Foundation.

“Switzerland: Design for Life” featured the work of twelve of Switzerland’s most talented young designers: Laurent Benner, Alexandre Bettler, Kueng Caputo, Zak Kyes, Jurg Lehni, Urs Lehni & Lex Trub, Loris & Livia, Elena Rendina and Regis Tosetti. Drawing on their exceptional Swiss heritage, these designers produce innovative, fresh ways of working, creating projects that move across disciplines; by making furniture, designing books and organizing events.
The exhibition also explored how Switzerland‘s identity has changed through the decades and concentrating on the key design periods that were pivotal in Swiss poster art. For decades, the Swiss created beautiful illustrated posters for their tourism industry, such as Emil Cardinaux’s Mattherhorn 1908. The exhibition displayed 10 of these most influential and striking Vintage posters alongside 10 newly created works.

“Good design, like an inspirational country, is fluid – with people, ideas and things flowing freely through it,” said curator Vanessa Norwood, who is head of exhibitions at the Architectural Association. (June 2010)

© Swiss Embassy

"Cities are tangible laboratories for sustainable innovation”. This was the message that the Mayor of Zürich, Corine Mauch, shared with experts from Switzerland and the UK at a high-level conference on 17 June 2010 focused on urban sustainability.

Mauch shared a platform with Sir Simon Milton, Deputy Mayor of London, who also stressed the importance that sustainability and energy efficiency plays in the capital’s strategic planning. “Be lean, be clean, be green,” was his message as cities across the globe evaluate strategies to cope with climate change and make best use of energy and natural resources.

The conference, “Innovative Solutions Towards Sustainable Urban Development: Visions from Switzerland and the UK” was organised by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom and opened by Ambassador Alexis P. Lautenberg.

“Switzerland is, contrary to the general perception abroad, a highly urbanised nation,” he said. Thus Switzerland and the UK have a lot to learn from each other so both nations can achieve a sustainable model that protects the environment and secures urban wellbeing.

Panelists debated a wide range of topics under the overarching concept of urban sustainability – planning, transport, housing, architecture, regulation and the environmental and economic realities of climate change.

The conference also saw the launch of a special publication produced by the Embassy of Switzerland dedicated to investigating these issues through a Swiss-UK Dialogue.

 “Urban Sustainability: a Contradiction in Terms?” (pdf, 2786 Kb)

The report brings together academics, experts, artists and philosophers to explore all aspects of urban development with the aim of fostering a sustainable future for all.