Joel Mills, British Council's Director of Music, delves into Shanghai's eclectic arts and music landscape, spanning futuristic theatre to classical performances. Discover the dynamic cultural exchange between the UK and China's music sectors in her latest update.
I visited Shanghai in October 2023, a with my first few days spent attending Shanghai Performing Arts Fair (SPAF) which too place in the New Bund Grand Theatre, in a fast-developing New Bund district. The conference attracted arts professionals from across the region from Hong Kong to Australia, as well as leading producers and curators from UK organisations. Forums and presentations on how arts and technology is shaping new trends in performing arts meant I was able to get a really good feel for the breadth of work being produced, from dance and theatre through to music performances and immersive experiences.
Immersive theatre is evidently immensely popular in China. Punchdrunk have had a long running show, Sleep No More in Shanghai and the appetite for immersive theatre is reflected in emporiums where one can buy tickets for a range of small-scale immersive theatre shows.
While in the UK immersive much current work tends to refer to arts and tech immersive audio-visual experiences, in Shanghai 'immersive’ has a broader interpretation and leans toward much more theatre based work with actors and participatory elements.
Three Body: Beyond Gravity is one such sci-fi experience based on Liu Cixin’s award-winning fiction ‘The Three Body Problem’, and uses the latest technology with production Shanghai Trisolaran Intelligent Technology Company who have transformed the top floor of a shopping centre into a space craft through which participants take part in an immersive game.
On the music side, I was able to get insights into both the local independent and classical music scenes. Visiting Shanghai Concert Hall days before The King’s Singers were due to perform there, and their upcoming programme included UK cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Many UK orchestras are invited to perform in China and there’s a real appetite for classical music. More surprising to me was meeting music contacts from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and venues, whose own practice and tastes were more towards the avant-garde. It’s exciting to learn of an appetite for experimental music and sound art.
Modern Sky are one of the biggest independent music promoters across China with venues in many cities. They have numerous labels, support festivals and have built strong connections with Sound City in Liverpool.
China had a hard time during the global pandemic, and promoters say that while there is growing appetite for music, they are still recovering.
China has such a large domestic market with many China specific streaming and music platforms, With language barriers, it can prove hard to navigate, but the people I met were eager to connect and share their love of UK music and where to look to find out more about Chinese artists.
Selector Radio and UK music is broadcast in China through DJ Demone’s show on Tangsuan Online Radio Station. He was enthusiastic about Selector and choosing exciting new tracks form the show to play each week on his own show.
A visit to any country is not complete without a little roving of local neighbourhoods, tasting local food, and seeing the kind of space that people like to enjoy themselves in, to get a sense of culture and place. Shanghai is a vast city with The Huangpu River, coursing through its shiny lit up cityscape, before opening out to wider stretches with contrasting fast rising towers and new buildings with old industrial spaces. Along the river many stunning buildings have been repurposed and for arts galleries, venues and museums revitalising the riverfront into public space where families picnic and young people gather to meet up and hang out. It feels familiar, yet strange too.
What are you excited about?
What excited me about the visit to Shanghai is the energy of the city, its urgent renewal, and appetite for arts and culture. I came away from Shanghai excited about the arts scene and approaches to art that create a distinct take on the world where traditional and cultural heritage sit side by side with new technologies.
What does this mean for the UK Music Sector?
Navigating China is one of the biggest challenges from the get-go at the airport. The apps and technology like Spotify, Instagram, Facebook that we take for granted do not work in China – and it’s a country that has evolved it own social media, cultural and music platforms. It’s a vast and diverse country so focusing on one city was a huge benefit.
It’s important to research, learn and be open to what Chinese counterparts are interested in and using.
There are plenty of opportunities to connect and British Council also run Connections trhouhg Culture grants to facilitate this. I’ve met many UK music professionals who have successfully been able to make great connections to tour and perform in China. Finding contacts who have a foot in both worlds is immensely helpful.
