An Arts Festival With a British Accent

When Donald Ballentyne saw how much interest the Los Angeles community seemed to have in Great Britain and how enthusiastically the city responded to the Los Angeles Festival, his decision two years ago to coordinate a British arts event was made much easier.

Though Ballentyne, consul-general at the British consulate in Los Angeles, was struck by the “enormous amount of good will” toward Britain by the Los Angeles community and the growing number of British expatriates (estimated at 350,000) in the Los Angeles area, he said he still felt that many took the relationship for granted--that too many were looking toward the Pacific Rim and forgetting to look back over their shoulder, toward the Atlantic.

“It just seemed that the time was right to nurture our relationship with one another,” said festival chairman Ballentyne, who initially thought of doing so during the Los Angeles Festival last year. “As I began to talk with people, I realized this could go far beyond just something in the L.A. Festival. So we decided to do our own thing.”

The result: “UK/LA ‘88-A Celebration of British Arts.”

UK/LA ’88 offers more than 50 events ranging from the visual and theatrical to the musical and cinematic, all of which have some British connection, whether it be the performers or the work itself, said John Houlton, festival administrator and vice-consul of information in the consulate.

The 12-week affair begins Thursday with the unveiling of a retrospective of artist David Hockney’s work and concludes April 30 with a performance of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Orchestra.

Houlton said this time period was picked for two reasons: “When we (the organizing committee) first met about two years ago, the Hockney exhibit was being planned for this year, and Ernest Fleischmann (executive director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) said he was thinking of bringing the City of Birmingham Orchestra over here. Those, in a sense, provided some of the pillars of UK/LA.

“Our goal basically is to increase interest in contemporary Britain,” he said. “We think people have a good idea of our historical traditions, but we’d like them also to understand that Britain is a vibrant and exciting place these days, and the arts are a way to show that.”

The success of previous festivals such as the Olympic Arts Festival and the Los Angeles Festival also helped to pave the way for UK/LA ‘88, said Bruce Joseph, UK/LA coordinator.

“Both of the those served as an inspiration for UK/LA,” Joseph said. “We were able to see that something like this could occur and that audience support would be there.”

There are 55 Los Angeles companies and 29 British companies bringing five world premieres and 20 American premieres and debuts to UK/LA, which will be highlighted by the first official visit to the United States of the Duke and Duchess of York (Prince Andrew and the former Sarah Ferguson) from Feb. 26 through March 6.

Said Ballentyne: “This has gone far beyond our original intentions. It’s unique, truly a cooperative effort from both sides of the Atlantic.”

UK/LA ‘88--Celebration of the British Arts

Dates: Feb. 4-April 30

Opening day: David Hockney’s exhibit, “A Retrospective,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is considered the “cutting of the ribbon” event.

Tickets: Tickets range from free to $50. Each venue is handling its own ticket sales. Five of the 35 venues are selling tickets through Ticketron or Ticketmaster outlets as well as their own box offices. Most venues are offering senior citizen and student discounts.

Performers: 55 Los Angeles companies; 29 British companies.

Firsts: Five world premieres; 20 American premieres or debuts; 15 West Coast premieres or debuts.

Benefit: A rock concert (with acts to be announced) at Universal Amphitheatre Feb. 29 will benefit medical services for children in Southern California and Great Britain.

Most interesting pairing: Author Norman Cousins and actor/writer John Cleese in a discussion on humor and healing.

Merchandise: A full-color souvenir book can be purchased for $7 through the Performing Arts Network, 2999 Overland Ave., Los Angeles 90064 or by calling (213) 839-8000; the UK/LA ’88 poster, an original design in which local artist Bill Tom depicts various Los Angeles (city hall, the Hollywood sign) and London (Big Ben, double decker buses) sites and attractions, $5; from England, a limited edition cloisonne pin with the UK/LA logo, $7; T-shirt, with the UK/LA logo, $12. The merchandise will be available at selected venues or can be ordered through the UK/LA ’88 office, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, 22nd floor, Century City 90067. Add $2.50 for handling and postage.

Information: (213) 972-7564.