The British Council has announced winning projects of the 40th round of the UK-China Connections Through Culture Grants, supporting UK and Chinese cultural partnerships to build new connections, exchange skills and develop artistic projects.
1. She Dances in April
Feng Ling Productions (Farooq Chaudhry, Geni Lou, Rui Fu) in collaboration with Yu Xiuhua, Maya Jilan Dong and Lico Kehua
England and China
Feng Ling Productions will collaborate with renowned Chinese poet Yu Xiuhua, as well as choreographers Maya Jilan Dong and Lico Kehua to merge the languages of poetry and dance. They will delve into the theme of the shadow-self during a research residency, with the goal of developing an innovative performance language. The ultimate aim is to create a full-length international live performance that showcases this new artistic expression.
2. Developing Co-Curation Strategy for Emerging Curators in China and the UK
esea contemporary in collaboration with De Ying Foundation
England and Shanghai
esea contemporary will collaborate with De Ying Foundation to build the exchange programme for emerging curators in China and the UK to develop their experience of curating contemporary art exhibition.
3. Cryptid
Joey Holder in collaboration with X Museum
England and Beijing
Artist Joey Holder will work with X Museum to develop an immersive physical and online exhibition depicting marine creatures against our changing environment. The project will utilise experimental research working at the intersection of art and science by collaborating with marine NGOs, intergovernmental organisations & researchers.
4. Dreamy Place
Videoclub in collaboration with Martin Goya Business
England and Hangzhou
Videoclub will collaborate with Martin Goya Business to develop Dreamy Place using videogame engines such as Unreal and Unity 3D.
5. Hangzhou Stories
Scottish Documentary Institute in collaboration with CNEX
Scotland and Beijing
Scottish Documentary Institute will collaborate with CNEX to deliver Hangzhou Stories, a 4-month documentary lab for 10 new filmmakers to learn the key techniques of creative documentary storytelling, and work together to produce 10-minute documentaries to be seen by audiences around the world. The project’s legacy will be a special one, linking Chinese filmmakers with international audiences, with SDI’s international initiatives as well as the opportunities offered by CNEX.
6. Congregation in China
Ray Lee in collaboration with Tempest Projects Shanghai
England and Shanghai
Ray will work with Tempest Projects to develop a special version of Congregation, his immersive outdoor sound art performance project. In Congregation, audiences spread across a city are guided by mysterious sound-emitting silver spheres towards a final secret location becoming part of a mesmerising mass composition.
Working with long-time producer Simon Chatterton and supported by 101 Outdoor Arts, the UK’s National Centre for Arts in Public Space, the collaboration aims to develop Congregation successfully and sustainably within a Chinese context.
7. 联结 / Connect
New Earth Theatre in collaboration with Sound and Fury
England and Shanghai
New Earth Theatre will collaborate with Sound and Fury on 联结 / Connect, developing a multi-strand oral history project in China bringing hidden voices to light through artistic means.
8. SHA-MAN / 沪曼
The White Hotel in collaboration with ALL
England and Shanghai
SHA-MAN is a cultural exchange project centred around the artistic sub-cultures of Shanghai and Manchester, initiated by venues ALL and The White Hotel. For the first iteration, members of Shanghai collective Genome 6.66MBP Bloodzboi, Charity Ssb, Shushu, Rui Ho and Kilo-Vee will connect with Manchester based artists Rainy Miller, Aya and Iceboy Violet for residencies and showcases in each city.
9. Design for Heritage: Preserving and promoting regional heritage through culture and creative product innovation
University of Dundee in collaboration with Hunan Museum
Scotland and Changsha
The project highlights the significance of culture and creative product design and innovation in disseminating regional cultural heritage. Led by Dr Yujia Huang from the University of Dundee in collaboration with Hunan Museum, this project brings together a coalition of local designers, artists, and regional history experts from Dundee (Scotland) and Changsha (China) to explore novel ways of preserving and promoting regional heritage. This initiative also provides young designers with an opportunity to innovate culture and creative products based on local heritage and city images, fostering cross-cultural collaboration and exchange.
10. Temporal Stack: Infrastructural Engagement Through AI & Art across China and UK
Iris LONG Xinru in collaboration with Creative AI Lab
Beijing and England
Iris LONG Xinru will collaborate with Creative AI Lab (a collaboration between Serpentine R&D Platform and the Department of Digital Humanities, King’s College London) to use locally embedded knowledge to understand the societal/environmental implications of some of the major algorithms in use today both in China and in the UK/Europe. The project includes a week-long group research trip to Guizhou for artists and cultural creators, a bilingual publication, and public panels/presentations on our findings.
11. Chris Zhongtian Yuan: No Door, One Window, Only Light; Home Is Where Music Is
Reading International in collaboration with Macalline Art Center
England and Beijing
Reading International will collaborate with Macalline Art Center on the two-part exhibition of artist Chris Zhongtian Yuan. The first part ‘No Door, One Window, Only Light’ will be held at Macalline Art Center and the second part ‘Home Is Where Music Is’ at Reading International and partner institution Open Hand Open Space (OHOS) in Reading, which will explore themes such as home, queer diaspora, mental health, featuring a newly commissioned artist film, as well as past works, accompanied by a publication and public programme of events.
12. Pingtan & Surge - Storytelling through song
Surge Forward Music and Arts (Sid Peacock & Surge Orchestra) in collaboration with Lu Jinhua
England and Shanghai
Surge Forward Music and Arts will collaborate with Pingtan artist Lu Jinhua in creating a new musical collaboration and performed at Xintiandi World Music festival in Shanghai. Video documentation of the event will be created to be broadcasted on an international level.