Collaboration Culture explores the exciting conversations that are created when leading personalities from various cultural fields are paired together to combine creative forces on a new, innovative project. What happens when a leading Bollywood dancer is paired with an Arab-American classical composer? What happens when a well-known British contemporary artist gets together with a Ghanaian coffin-maker?

The series pairs 12 creative people from around the world and challenges them to work together. It will travel to Mumbai, Accra, New York, Dubai, Trinidad and Lima to bring BBC World News viewers an insight into unique global cultural collaborations.

The commission is the first between Zodiak Active and BBC World News, and builds on a well-established and successful relationship between the BBC and Active’s parent company, Zodiak Media. Zodiak’s most recent BBC productions include Being Human (Touchpaper), the supernatural-hit for BBC Three, and Wallander (Yellow Bird), the BAFTA-winning drama series for BBC One.

Robert Marsh, MD of Zodiak Active says: “We are delighted that our first commission with BBC World News takes us around the globe, bringing together world-class collaborators from a diverse range of disciplines to create some wonderful new artistic pieces.”

Mary Wilkinson, senior commissioning editor for BBC World News says: “Collaboration Culture is an exciting addition to the channel and we are thrilled to have attracted such a talented line up for this new series. The collaborators featured are all influential, well-travelled and established in their field of work, with close links to their home culture and tradition. We believe their global and local appeal will resonate with the BBC World News audience and I’m personally really looking forward to the art works they’re going to create.”

"Emirates is supporting the BBC’s innovative programme, Collaboration Culture, which parallels our business strategy which is all about connecting people and cultures, creating relevant and meaningful experiences that are shaping the world,” said Sir Maurice Flanagan, vice chairman of Emirates Airline & Group. “Sponsoring the programme is an ideal fit with our new communications platform 'Hello Tomorrow' which inspires people to embrace the potential of the future, to innovate and try the unfamiliar.”