David Zolkwer
David Zolkwer MVO (born in Manchester in April 1973) is a producer and director of international public events, theatre, ceremonies, celebrations, festivals and immersive corporate experiences.
David Zolkwer has played a leading role in major public events, ceremonies, celebrations, theatrical performances, festivals and brand experiences across the world for over two decades.
During the ceremony the last 250 British and Australian World War I troops recovered from recently discovered mass graves were reburied with full military honours.
Zolkwer was the Creative Director for the celebration sites in London's Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square created for the Royal Wedding, The marriage of H.R.H Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton.
(Zolkwer's work on London's 2015 New Year's Eve spectacular saw the clock faces of Elizabeth Tower – home to Big Ben – lit blue to mark the involvement of UNICEF in the event.
The Opening Ceremony, attended by Her Majesty The Queen, featured performances by Karen Dunbar, John Barrowman, Amy Macdonald, Susan Boyle, Nicola Benedetti, Julie Fowlis, Pumeza Matshikiza, Billy Connolly, Sir Chris Hoy, Rod Stewart and James McAvoy, as well as a pre-recorded video messages from the crew of the International Space Station and Ewan McGregor, Nicole Scherzinger and Sachin Tendulkar.
Zolkwer served as Creative and Production Consultant to the Georgian Chamber of Culture for the Opening Ceremony of the Tbilisi 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival.
His work on the Gold Coast Ceremonies saw him connect with, commission and curate over 40 local and national cultural and creative companies and organisations including respected 'national treasures' such as The Queensland Symphony Orchestra (Brisbane), Queensland Ballet (Brisbane), Bangarra Dance Theatre (Sydney), Dance North (Townsville) and the Yugambeh Museum.
In an opening welcome reminiscent of Crocodile Dundee, the celebration was a bottler, ridgy-dodge - a little ripper...as millions of people watching worldwide fell in love with Australia".
The Courier-Mail said, "The Gold Coast finally welcomed the world to its biggest ever party with a dazzling Commonwealth Games opening ceremony".
[17] The London Evening Standard said the Games began with a "spectacular opening ceremony paying tribute to region's Aboriginal history.
He directed Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant which was witnessed live by over 200,000 people lining the streets of London on 5 June 2022, and broadcast to hundreds of millions of television viewers around the world.
London Fireworks 2023 In December 2022 Zolkwer was appointed Project Director for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, held in Westminster Abbey in June 2023.
Also in 2023, Zolkwer was a member of the Cultural Heritage Narrative Experiences Expert Panel for The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).
Zolkwer has worked on many major corporate brand events across the world and for clients across most sectors, including, in 2019, Emirates National Oil Company,[23] Expo 2020.
Zolkwer also spearheaded the launch of telecommunications giant, Zain, first in the Middle-East in 2007 (simultaneous, satellite-linked events in Sudan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan) and then, in 2008, across Africa (simultaneous, satellite-linked events in Burkina Faso, Chad, D.R.C., Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia).
He was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours for distinguished personal services to the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
