Glitz and Glamour at the Great Britain Festival

The British High Commission, along with the British Council, UK Department for International Trade, and VisitBritain, brought Britain to Malaysia this November, between 1 – 14 November 2016. In what can be called quite a successful effort, British education, food, culture and music came together at Kuala Lumpur’s own KLCC and Avenue K, acting as venues for the various activities held during the festival, from poetry slam workshops and an education fair, to a the biggest UK alumni gathering Malaysia had yet to see.

Between 1 – 14 November, attendees of the festival immersed themselves in a VisitBritain tourism showcase, a pop-up British bookstore by Borders, and a BBC showcase (focusing on the likes of popular dramas such as Sherlock) at Avenue K.

It was, however, between the 4 -6 November where all the action took place. Friday, 4 November featured a ‘Women in Media’ masterclass by renowned DJ Goldierocks, while 5 November saw a storytelling session between parents and children, the Chevening Talk Series revolving around the topics of art, activism and culture, among many others, and –last but not the least –a British Alumni Gathering, come nighttime.

More than 800 UK alumni put on their party shoes on Saturday to enjoy British food and drink, entertainment by their own DJ Goldierocks, and the company of their fellow UK counterparts, reminiscing of days long past with an incredible view of the Petronas Twin Towers, towering above the Avenue K rooftop.

The following day was inclusive of a forum concerning ‘Empowering Malaysian Youth,’ a poetry slam workshop, and a homage to David Bowie by Paul Roberts. Alongside such entertainment was the Education UK University Fair, where more than 80 UK universities were present to inform interested students of the education standards of the UK.

EasyUni too was present at the Education UK University Fair, and let their hair down at the Alumni Pop-Up Night. Suffice to say, we can’t wait for the next Great Britain Festival!