Southbank Centre's China Changing Festival Celebrates Innovative Contemporary Chinese Culture

Southbank Centre's China Changing Festival returns from Thursday 4 - Sunday 7 October 2018 for a four-day grand finale showcasing contemporary Chinese culture, and its creative connection with the UK. Launched in December 2016, this three year international festival returns to London, for the final time, presenting some of the most innovative artists practising in China today and celebrating inspiring work from British-based Chinese and South East Asian artists.

China Changing Festival brings visitors closer to current Chinese culture, exploring modern adaptations of ancient artistic techniques, the role art can play in interpreting the world and the global influence of Chinese literature. Over half of the action-packed four-day programme is free, bringing together an eclectic mix of artists and performers introducing new perspectives on South East Asian culture through cutting-edge art. This year's edition of the festival includes fashion, theatre, comedy, traditional and contemporary sounds, dance, calligraphy, food, family events and topical panel discussions.

Highlights of this year's China Changing Festival include:

A major fashion take-over by BAFTA and Academy Award winning designer Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) presenting Cloud - a free multi disciplinary arts project which comprises a video presentation, a large-scale art installation, upcycling workshops and a live showcase of 25 new spectacular costumes designs, inspired by the creative energy of London and exploring the notion of the changing climate and environment. The project culminates in a free catwalk display of the costumes, which have been developed over months of collaboration between some of London's leading fashion designers and promising young fashion student talents - the costumes will be presented at the festival's closing event on Sunday 7 October in Royal Festival Hall's Clore Ballroom.

Beijing-based choreographer Wen Hui returns to the UK for her first performance in ten years with the London premiere of dance docu-drama Red - part of the 40th anniversary of Dance Umbrella 2018 (4-5 October, Purcell Room). Wen Hui will host a post-show live Q&A session following the first performance of Red. (4 October, Purcell Room)

Other theatre highlights include: The Injustice to Tou O, a visually spectacular supernatural tale of love and intrigue from the 13th century (7 October, Queen Elizabeth Hall) and Michelle Yim's fascinating one-woman show The Empress telling the extraordinary true story of Princess Der Ling (7 October, Royal Festival Hall's Blue Room).

Singer-songwriter Emmy the Great shares the story of a life-changing trip to China through music and performance. She is joined on stage by Dfu, one of Xiamen's finest musicians. Other music highlights include engaging DJ and VJ sets by some of the leading contemporary names in China's electronic music scene including an industrial audiovisual experience by Sisi Lu and sets by Hyph11E (DJ) with Wang Newone (VJ) and Howie Lee who is dubbed by Dazed as "the composer at the forefront of China's club scene".

The ticketed talks programme invites visitors to delve deeper into contemporary Chinese culture, societal discourses and literature, with events including a talk focused onThe Rise of China's Feminist Resistance; a discussion on Chinese Sci-Fi led by award-winning novelist Xia Jia; and an event dedicated to the works of renowned Hong Kong writer Jin Yong, who wrote the phenomenally popular Legends of the Condor Heroes series (7 October, Royal Festival Hall's Level 5 Function Room).

Comedian Ken Cheng, winner of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's funniest joke award in 2017, brings his latest show for its London premiere fresh from its Edinburgh Fringe debut, Best Dad Ever is about his multicultural upbringing having been born in the UK to Chinese immigrants (6 October, Purcell Room).

Families are welcome to the festival with lots of events catering to all ages including Coalesce - a free live classical music event presenting the synergy between the guqin and the piano; the food market which includes some Chinese street food guest trader; an array of free workshops such as calligraphy showcases and recycling and costume making activities. The festival will also welcome an atmospheric puppetry show, The Sea, by the puppetry director of War Horse China, to keep families entertained.

Rachel Harris, Creative Producer, Festival Development, Southbank Centre said: "We are delighted to have been able to put together a vibrant four-day programme for this final year of our three year festival. China Changing Festival was originally launched in December 2016 and we are very excited to bring it back with an extended programme which celebrates artistic excellence and showcases exciting Chinese and UK partnerships. 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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