CHINA CHANGING FESTIVAL 2017

Southbank​ ​Centre’s​ ​​China​ ​Changing​​ ​​Festival​​ ​returns​ ​for​ ​its​ ​second​ ​year,​ ​on​ ​Saturday​ ​7​ ​October​ ​2017 showcasing​ ​contemporary​ ​China​ ​and​ ​exploring​ ​its​ ​creative​ ​connection​ ​with​ ​the​ ​UK.​ ​Launched​ ​in December​ ​2016,​ ​this​ ​three​ ​year​ ​international​ ​festival​ ​returns​ ​to​ ​London​ ​presenting​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most innovative​ ​artists​ ​practising​ ​in​ ​China​ ​today​ ​and​ c​​elebrating​ ​inspiring​ ​work​ ​from​ ​British-based​ ​Chinese and​ ​South​ ​East​ ​Asian​ ​artists.

China​ ​Changing​ ​Festival​​ ​brings​ ​us​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​current​ ​Chinese​ ​culture,​ ​exploring​ ​modern​ ​interpretations of​ ​ancient​ ​artistic​ ​techniques,​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​the​ ​media​ ​and​ ​women​ ​in​ ​contemporary​ ​society​ ​and​ ​the international​ ​reach​ ​of​ ​Chinese​ ​literature.​ ​Over​ ​fifty​ ​per​ ​cent​ ​of​ ​the​ ​programme​ ​is​ ​free,​ ​bringing​ ​together an​ ​eclectic​ ​day​ ​including​ ​​new​ ​perspectives​ ​on​ ​traditional​ ​sounds,​ ​digital​ ​and​ ​electronic​ ​art,​ s​​ urreal film,​ ​breakdance,​ ​comedy,​ ​modern​ ​puppetry,​ ​theatre​ ​and​ ​topical​ ​panel​ ​discussions.

Highlights​ ​of​ ​this​ ​year’s​ ​​China​ ​Changing​ ​Festival​ ​​include:

TV​ ​host,​ ​publisher​ ​and​ ​media​ ​mogul​​ ​Hung​ ​Huang,​ ​​often​ ​referred​ ​to​ ​as​ ​‘China’s​ ​Oprah Winfrey’,​ ​who​​ ​​discusses​ ​her​ ​life,​ ​work​ ​and​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​the​ ​media​ ​in​ ​contemporary​ ​China,​ ​in conversation​ ​with​ ​Guardian​ ​leader​ ​writer,​ ​and​ ​former​ ​China​ ​Correspondent​​ ​Tania​ ​Branigan.

Around​ ​China​ ​with​ ​a​ ​Movie​ ​Camera:​ ​a​ ​Journey​ ​from​ ​Beijing​ ​to​ ​Shanghai,​​ ​is​​ ​​an​ ​epic​ ​filmic journey​ ​into​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​China,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​live​ ​atmospheric​ ​score,​ ​composed​ ​and​ ​performed​ ​by Ruth​ ​Chan​ ​and​ ​ensemble​ ​blending​ ​Chinese​ ​music​ ​with​ ​western​ ​classical​ ​influences, electronica​ ​and​ ​jazz.

Little​ ​Soldier​ ​Zhang​ ​Ga,​ ​​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​one​ ​boy’s​ ​spirit​ ​in​ ​World​ ​War​ ​II​ ​in​ ​northern​ ​China,​ ​from​ ​the puppetry​ ​director​ ​of​ ​​War​ ​Horse​ ​China​​ ​​Liu​ ​Xiaoy​.​ ​His​ ​story​ ​is​ ​told​ ​through​ ​puppetry​ ​and physical​ ​theatre,​ ​and​ ​is​ ​co-written​ ​by​ ​​Guo​ ​Yan.

SINK​,​ ​a​ ​play​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​true​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Chinese​ ​writer​ ​​Lao​ ​She,​ ​​which​ ​asks​ ​questions​ ​about freedom,​ ​history​ ​and​ ​identity.

A​ ​screening​ ​of​ ​internationally​ ​celebrated​ ​filmmaker​ ​and​ ​author​ X​​ialou​ ​Guo​’s​​ ​​UFO:​ ​In​ ​her Eyes,​​ ​a​ ​surreal​ ​story​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Chinese​ ​villager​ ​whose​ ​life​ ​changes​ ​after​ ​seeing​ ​a​ ​UFO.

Cyema,​​ ​an​ ​immersive​ ​audio​ ​visual​ ​performance​ ​by​ ​Berlin​ ​based​ ​designer​ ​turned​ ​artist Florence​ ​To,​​ ​where​ ​a​ ​digital​ ​soundscape​ ​of​ ​reconstructed​ ​iron​ ​gongs,​ ​originally​ ​discovered​ ​in old​ ​clocks,​ ​rings​ ​out​ ​as​ ​responding​ ​visuals​ ​surround​ ​the​ ​audience.

Jun​ ​Tian​ ​Yun​ ​He​ ​Ensemble​ ​​spread​ ​the​ ​music​ ​and​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​the​ ​majestic​ ​seven​ ​stringed instrument,​ ​the​ ​​guqin​,​ ​performed​ ​in​ ​partnership​ ​with​ ​xiao​ ​and​ ​throat​ ​singing,​ ​alongside​ ​an impressive​ ​tai​ ​chi​ ​performance.

Gongs,​ ​Songs​ ​&​ ​Hong​ ​Kong​ ​Thongs,​​ ​inspired​ ​by​ ​American​ ​stand-up​ ​and​ ​Chinese​ ​cross-talk, takes​ ​a​ ​tongue-in-cheek​ ​look​ ​at​ ​Asian​ ​stereotyping​ ​in​ ​a​ ​new​ ​musical​ ​comedy​ ​show​ ​by​ C​​hris Chan,​​ ​that’s​ ​part-culture​ ​guide,​ ​part​ ​biography,​ ​part​ ​parody.

A​ ​powerful​ ​dance​ ​double​ ​bill​ ​includes​​ ​Julia​ ​Cheng​,​ ​who​ ​explores​ ​the​ ​myth​ ​of​ ​a​ ​modern Mu-Lan​ ​through​ ​wu-shu​ ​martial​ ​arts​ ​and​ ​contemporary​ ​waacking​ ​in​ Orlando​ ​Warrior​​ ​and​ ​​Si Rawlinson​,​ ​who​​ ​​mixes​ ​break​ ​and​ ​contemporary​ ​dance​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​the​ ​struggle​ ​between​ ​the desires​ ​of​ ​state​ ​and​ ​citizen​​ ​​with​ ​​Ink​.

A​ ​series​ ​of​ ​panel​ ​discussions​ ​explore​ ​personal​ i​​nsights​ ​on​ ​women​ ​in​ ​society​ ​through discussion​ ​and​ ​literature​ ​​including​ ​an​ ​exploration​ ​into​ ​women​ ​and​ ​the​ ​new​ ​two​ ​child​ ​policy. Leading​ ​Chinese​ ​writers​ ​​Xiaolu​ ​Guo​​ ​and​ ​​Liliaj​ ​Zhang​​ ​will​ ​read​ ​from,​ ​and​ ​discuss,​ ​their​ ​most recent​ ​books.

China​ ​Exchange,​ ​in​ ​partnership​ ​with​ ​Southbank​ ​Centre​ ​present​​ ​Square​ ​Dancing:​ ​How​ ​do​ ​you guangchang​ ​wu? – a taste​ ​of​ ​China’s​ ​square​ ​dancing​ ​craze​ ​with​ ​workshops​ ​and​ ​performances.

Experiential​ ​multidisciplinary​ ​artist​ ​​Li-E​ ​Chen​ ​​invites​ ​audiences​ ​to​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​the development​ ​of​ ​the​ ​libretto​ ​for​ ​a​ ​silent​ ​opera,​ ​in​ ​​Proposition​ ​For​ ​Making​ ​A​ ​Silent​ ​Opera​ ​At​ ​An Invisible​ ​Museum,​​ ​an​ ​experiment​ ​in​ ​new​ ​opera​ ​making.

Rachel​ ​Harris,​ ​Creative​ ​Producer,​ ​Festival​ ​Development,​ ​Southbank​ ​Centre​’s​​ aid:​ ​​“China Changing​ ​Festival​ ​launched​ ​in​ ​December​ ​last​ ​year​ ​and​ ​we’re​ ​very​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​it​ ​back​ ​with​ ​a​ ​new action-packed​ ​programme​ ​celebrating​ ​artistic​ ​excellence​ ​and​ ​Chinese​ ​and​ ​UK​ ​partnerships.​ C​​hina​ ​is a​ ​multifaceted​ ​country,​ ​experiencing​ ​an​ ​impressive​ ​expansion​ ​of​ ​cultural​ ​infrastructure​ ​in​ ​the​ ​context of​ ​its​ ​rich,​ ​ancient​ ​artistic​ ​heritage.​ ​​With​ ​this​ ​festival,​ ​we​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​and​ ​give​ ​an​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​the breadth​ ​of​ ​China’s​ ​creativity​ ​and​ ​creative​ ​influence.”

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