You Magazine
“It was the one time in my life I did not want to dance”
Arts & Entertainment
Irina Kolesnikova
Creating a new ballet icon
A Russian prima ballerina had a vision to raise awareness for the plight of the refugees, using a brand new ballet opening in London to express their suffering. The challenge was to speak out and tell the story through multiple touchpoints reaching the millions of tribal ballet fans around the world.
Strategic positioning and a partnership with Oxfam organised through Borkowski connections, led to creative development for a trip to the refugee camps in Serbia and media hubs set up at the camps and in St Petersburg. Multiple reporting of the story came from the New York Times, Newsweek to the Sydney Morning Herald, the first ever Instagram photo call was held at the dress rehersal in London’s Coliseum and a sell out global tour followed. Irina Kolesnikova was featured on Woman’s Hour and a special report on Channel 4 News. The Daily Telegraph described her as “the world’s greatest ballerina”. Thousands of pounds were donated to Oxfam.
High profile Oxfam partnership
Global coverage of Irina's Oxfam visit to the refugee camp from New York Times to Sydney MorningHerald
Sell out tour in 5 territories
5 minute interview on Channel 4 News and Radio 4's Woman's Hour
World's first Instagram photo call
News & Media
Ballerina asks fans to Instagram her Carmen performance instead of professional photographers
Interview: prima ballerina Irina Kolesnikova
Ballet companies must stop wrecking our bodies, warns Russian star