COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES
Chinese Programme
The Chinese Programme celebrates events such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival by running Chinese music and dance performances, as well as demonstrations of Chinese art forms.
The events are for both Families and Adults and are free of charge, no booking required.
Photograph by Iwan Baan, National Stadium – The Main Stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games Beijing, May 2007. © Herzog & de Meuron (click image for larger version)
Previously on the Chinese Programme
Beijing City Weekend
28 & 29 June 2008
Visitors designed their own Beijing architectural structures, take part in storytelling, Mandarin, and Beijing Opera workshops, and see photographic displays of Beijing architecture.
Shanghai City Weekend
17 & 18 May 2008
Design students created objects based on contemporary Shanghai urban chic, visitors took part in Chinese music and photography workshops, watched Shanghai film screenings and a catwalk fashion show.Shenzhen City Weekend
19 & 20 April 2008
Visitors helped create a visual landscape of the southern Chinese city Shenzhen through graphic design, poster making, line drawing, collage, montage and more.Families took part in graphic landscape and T-shirt making workshops, while all visitors could view projections of a Shenzhen documentary, try out the photography stage, listen to storytelling and enjoy tea tasting and performances of the Oolong and Green Tea ceremonies.
Chinese New Year-Year of the Rat
9-10 February 2008
The year of the Rat was welcomed by a host of activities across the Museum. The Imperial College Chinese Student and Scholar Association performed magic shows and demonstrated Kung-fu. There were lion dance and folk arts workshops, and painting and calligraphy demonstrations. Visitors saw traditional tea-making techniques and noodle pulling and learned how to wrap Chinese New Year dumplings. Children made dragon headdresses and dressed up in Chinese costumes. The Imperial College Malaysian Society performed a traditional lion dance.
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival at the V&A
23 September 2007
Chinese Lantern Parade (click image for larger version)
The programme of events included a lantern parade with Chinese schools and communities led by the Lion dance and Dragon.
There were traditional and popular Chinese songs performed by Chinese community groups in the Lecture Theatre as well as Chinese music and workshops including lantern making, Chinese button knotting, bead craft and Chinese chess.
During the afternoon, a Chinese Cultural Performance took place in the John Madejski Garden with martial arts, a Chinese choir and traditional folk dances.
Chinese New Year-Year of the Pig
17-18 February 2007
Year of the Pig V&A postcard (click image for larger version)
Chen Nan Hsiong demonstrated the art of Chinese Calligraphy while Li Liu Hai and Yang Guo Hua demonstrated modern painting using traditional Chinese techniques at this year's Chinese New Year celebrations at the V&A. There was also a Chinese costume display and outfits were available for children to try on. Visitors also enjoyed Festival Music, demonstrations of the art of noodle pulling, fruit and vegetable carving and a Lion Dance workshop for children. Throughout the day there were also activities such as tea tasting in a Chinese Tea House, tasty New Year cookies and lucky red envelopes, learning how to play Chinese chess and Mahjong, and how to use an abacus!
Chinese Mid-autumn Festival
8 October 2006
Painting by Hu Jin Xiong (click image for larger version)
The Victoria and Albert Museum celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival on 8 October 2006 with a day packed with events including a lantern parade with Chinese schools and communities led by a lion dance and Yaogu (waist drum) drumming. There was also a Chinese music and lantern-making workshops, bamboo dance, Kungfu and Tai Chi demonstrations and Chinese chess.