Chinese theatre troupe visits Preston for New Year celebrations

13 February 2019

UCLan Confucius Institute brings Shanghai Theatre Academy to Guild Hall

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has brought a prestigious theatre troupe to Preston to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Marking the Year of the Pig, the Shanghai Theatre Academy gave an exciting performance of traditional dance, Chinese puppetry, opera singing, and traditional musical instruments to a sell-out audience at Preston Charter Theatre.

Several local schools came to the show including St Stephen's C of E Primary in Preston, Farington Moss St Paul's C of E Primary and Thomas Whitham Sixth Form in Burnley, who were joined by Preston Mayor Councillor Trevor Hart and UCLan Executive Director of International Strategy and Partnerships Tim Steele.

The troupe was brought to the City by the UCLan Confucius Institute, which aims to promote Chinese language and culture in the community. An exchange student from the University of International Business and Economics in China acted as an interpreter at the event and two UCLan students introduced each performance.

Director of the UCLan Confucius Institute Feixia Yu said: “It’s great to see Preston really embrace Chinese New Year with a whole host of celebratory events. The Shanghai Theatre Academy is a very prestigious dance company and we’re very proud to bring the troupe to Preston for the public to enjoy a cultural experience and join in the New Year celebrations.”

View images from the event on the UCLan Flickr gallery.