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CECCI Completes 2026 Edinburgh Festival International Cultural Exchange Programme
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All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.
9th September 2026
From 31 July to 20 August 2026, the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI) travelled to Edinburgh, UK, for a series of cultural exchange activities held alongside the Edinburgh Festival. Through performances, professional exchanges, an international forum and engagement with cultural institutions, CECCI further strengthened links between the Chinese and European performing arts sectors.
Founded in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival takes place each August and encompasses a number of major cultural events, including the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in particular, is recognised for its scale, openness and spirit of innovation, with performances taking place across theatres, streets and public spaces throughout the city.
The Fringe brings together theatre companies, artists, producers, curators, cultural organisations and performing arts professionals from around the world, making Edinburgh an important meeting point for international artistic exchange and professional collaboration. During its 2026 Edinburgh programme, CECCI used performing arts projects as a starting point for international exchange, while the Asia-Europe Culture & Arts Development Forum provided a platform for broader dialogue and cooperation.
During its Edinburgh programme, CECCI supported the presentation of five productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Peking Opera ZHENG HE, an original Peking Opera production by Shanghai Theatre Academy; The King Oedipus, an experimental Peking Opera production by Zhejiang Jingkun Art Centre; The Floating Life III | QI, an original contemporary dance production by Spectator Experimental Digital Theatre; Nüwa Mends the Sky, a Huai Tune opera presented by Cizhou Huai Tune Cultural Center, Hebei Province and Hebei Bangzi Theatre; and Delivered, an original physical theatre production by Yifeng Zhu Physical Theatre and a China-UK co-production supported by the CECCI Artist Fund.
Covering Peking Opera, traditional Chinese opera, contemporary dance and physical theatre, the five productions presented different approaches to combining elements of Chinese traditional culture with contemporary artistic practice. Through theatre performances, street showcases and project presentations, the productions engaged with audiences and performing arts professionals from different countries and regions, providing further opportunities for Chinese original works to reach international audiences.
Throughout the Fringe, CECCI also carried out international promotion for the productions, inviting theatre critics, media representatives and performing arts professionals to attend performances and participate in professional exchanges. Several productions received positive feedback from critics and specialist media, contributing to greater international visibility for Chinese original performing arts.
（Review of The King Oedipus）
（Review of Peking Opera ZHENG HE）
During the programme, Min Hu, Vice president of Shanghai Theatre Academy, Xiquan Jin, Dean of the Academy of Chinese Traditional Opera at Shanghai Theatre Academy, and other members of the delegation visited the Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh, accompanied by Bryson Xue, Chairman of CECCI.
Xiquan Jin was invited to deliver a special lecture entitled The Beauty of Peking Opera. Through an introduction to the aesthetics of Peking Opera, demonstrations of stylised movements and performances of excerpts from classic works, he engaged with local Peking Opera enthusiasts and audiences, offering an opportunity to experience the distinctive artistic qualities of traditional Chinese opera.
During discussions, the two sides explored opportunities for further exchange and cooperation, particularly in the fields of culture and the arts, education and talent development, creating new possibilities for China-UK collaboration.
On the afternoon of 11 August, UK local time, the 2026 Asia-Europe Culture & Arts Development Forum – UK was held at St Leonard’s Hall, Pollock Halls Campus, the University of Edinburgh.
The Forum was jointly organised by the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI), Shanghai Theatre Academy, the University of Milan, the University of York and the University of Edinburgh, with support from the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Centre and the Edinburgh Festival organising committee.
Under the theme “Future Performing Arts: Cross-disciplinary Co-existence”, the Forum brought together representatives of universities, cultural institutions, international arts festivals and the performing arts sector from China, the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden and Bulgaria.
Discussions focused on innovation in future performing arts, the role of technology in artistic creation, international talent development and collaboration across the cultural and creative industries. Through forum discussions, project launches and presentations of international performing arts projects, participants explored new approaches to international performing arts development in the digital age.
During the Forum, the Asia-Europe Future Performing Arts Collaborative Innovation Network was officially launched. The Network aims to connect universities, arts organisations and industry resources in China and Europe, supporting long-term cooperation in talent development, artistic creation, technological innovation and industry collaboration in the field of future performing arts.
The Edinburgh Festival Future Theatre Programme was also officially launched, creating further opportunities for cooperation among Chinese and European universities, arts organisations and international festivals in future theatre creation, young artist development and international projects.
Alongside the Forum and performing arts programme, CECCI participated in activities associated with the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Bringing together writers, publishers and cultural practitioners from around the world, the Book Festival provides a platform for discussion and exchange across literature, society, technology and contemporary culture.
CECCI’s participation offered further insight into developments within the UK and international cultural and creative industries, while broadening its understanding of cultural exchange across different artistic fields. The Centre also followed activities associated with the Edinburgh International Film Festival and other cultural events, observing developments in international artistic creation and the cultural industries and identifying further opportunities to connect with overseas cultural resources.
While supporting the international presentation of Chinese original works, CECCI also made use of Edinburgh’s concentration of international artistic resources to observe dozens of performing arts productions from different countries and artistic traditions.
The Centre engaged with artists, theatres and production organisations from more than ten countries and regions, including the UK, Italy, Switzerland and Bulgaria, gaining a closer understanding of international trends in performing arts creation and the development of the global performing arts market.
These exchanges also enabled CECCI to identify productions with artistic value and potential for international cooperation, while exploring opportunities to introduce high-quality international performing arts projects to China and promote greater two-way exchange between Chinese and international performing arts sectors.
From presenting Chinese original works on the international stage to creating platforms for Asia-Europe cultural and artistic exchange, and from supporting Chinese productions in reaching overseas audiences to exploring opportunities for international works to enter China, the Edinburgh programme further developed CECCI’s approach to international cultural exchange through both project-based cooperation and longer-term mechanisms.
The value of art lies not only in the presentation of individual works, but also in its ability to create understanding and connections across borders. Through the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as an important international platform for cultural exchange, CECCI will continue to support dialogue and mutual learning between different cultures, enabling Chinese stories to reach international audiences through diverse artistic forms while creating opportunities for outstanding international works to engage with audiences in China.
Building on the 2026 Edinburgh International Cultural Exchange Programme, CECCI will continue to work through international arts festival platforms, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Festival Off Avignon, to connect high-quality cultural and artistic resources from around the world.
Its work will extend beyond exchanges between individual productions towards deeper cooperation in talent development, artistic creation, industry development and institutional mechanisms, contributing to an open, diverse and mutually enriching international cultural exchange network.
Through art as a bridge, cultural understanding and collaborative creation, CECCI will continue to develop China-Europe cultural and artistic exchange from individual projects towards longer-term cooperation. By strengthening connections between artists, institutions, festivals and cultural industries, CECCI aims to contribute to dialogue and mutual understanding between different cultures and to lasting friendship between people around the world.
图片及内容版权归CECCI所有，如发现侵权或盗用行为将追究法律责任
All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.