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(전국 매일/Korea) 2025 Asia-Europe Culture& Arts Development Forum Held in the United Kingdom: Building a New Bridge for China-Europe Cultural and Artistic Cooperation
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12th August 2025
Amid the dual tides of global civilisational exchange and the digital technology revolution, international cultural and artistic cooperation has entered a critical stage of strategic development. In response to China’s “Belt and Road Initiative”, and with the aim of building a people-to-people bridge for comprehensive and in-depth collaboration between China and Europe in the fields of culture and the arts — while pioneering a new paradigm for cultural and artistic exchange and cooperation — the 2025 Asia-Europe Culture& Arts Development Forum, the first event jointly initiated and organised by Chinese and European cultural institutions and leading universities, was grandly inaugurated on 10th August 2025 (local time) at St Leonard’s Hall, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, outlining a new vision for Asia–Europe cultural exchange and industrial cooperation.
The forum was jointly organised by the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI), the College of Dance of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and the School of Arts & Communication， Beijing Normal University. It was co-organised by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Committee and the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, with strong support from nearly 30 cultural organisations and art institutions both in China and abroad, including the Edinburgh City Council, the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, and Zhejiang Dafeng Industry Co., Ltd.
Nearly a hundred representatives from more than 20 countries, including China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, gathered for the event, representing the political, business, cultural, artistic, and academic sectors. They engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics such as international cultural and artistic exchange, Asia–Europe cultural market mechanisms, and cross-cultural development trends, aiming to establish a high-level dialogue platform and a pragmatic cooperation mechanism for China–Europe and Asia–Europe cultural collaboration.
At the morning session of the Asia-Europe Culture& Arts Development Forum, Amy McNeese-Mechan, Councillor of the City of Edinburgh, delivered a welcome address, warmly greeting guests and delegates from around the world and affirming the significance of hosting the conference in Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Art Festival. Following her remarks, several distinguished industry experts delivered keynote speeches.
Professor Zhou Bei, Deputy Dean of the College of Dance at the Shanghai Theatre Academy; Dr Wendy Timmon of the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh; and Stephen Gaughan, Head of the Scotland Office of the International Dance Teachers Association, offered academic insights into the current landscape and future prospects of international cultural and artistic exchange, drawing on their own professional experiences and academic research.
Industry representatives — including Angela Kwon, Head of Edinburgh Art Festival Korea Season, as well as executives from Dafeng Culture and C Theatre (UK) — focused on the market mechanisms underpinning Asia–Europe cultural exchange, sharing successful case studies and collaborative models. Meanwhile, Lilan, Chair of the Scottish Traditional Dance Forum, and Madeline, Principal Artist of the Scottish Ballet, discussed trends in cross-cultural artistic development, sharing their first-hand insights and practical experiences.
During the forum, Professor Nie Wei, Vice President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, together with representatives from the Edinburgh City Council, the University of Edinburgh, the International Dance Teachers Association, and the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI), jointly unveiled the plaque for the “Shanghai Theatre Academy Edinburgh Practice Base(Edinburgh)”.
At the same event, Mr. Bryson Xue, Head of the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation, and representatives from Dafeng Theatre Chain launched the “Dafeng Theatre Chain – China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation Edinburgh Repertoire Selection Base”. Meanwhile, the “Asia–Europe Theatre Alliance” was officially announced.
The establishment of these three institutional platforms marks a breakthrough in talent development, resource sharing, and market connectivity within China–Europe and Asia–Europe cultural and artistic cooperation. It lays a sustainable and pragmatic strategic framework for deepening mutual learning among civilisations and enhancing people-to-people connectivity across regions.
At the International Performing Arts Connection Conference held in the afternoon session, 13 representatives from performing arts institutions across the world — including the globally renowned German production company Aurora Nova, Australia’s leading circus company Parrot Ox, and China’s Dafeng Culture and Higher Link — delivered keynote speeches. They offered in-depth analyses of international theatre operation practices, cutting-edge strategies for introducing global productions, and presented live showcases of their latest works.
China’s Shanghai Theatre Academy also presented excerpts from its original dance drama The Pure Blue, vividly conveying the contemporary interpretation of the Chinese aesthetic spirit. In addition, nine outstanding productions from the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and other countries and regions were introduced collectively, with the aim of exploring collaboration opportunities for staging in China and bringing diverse global artistic creations to wider Chinese audiences.
In the closing remarks, Lezley Cameron, Deputy Lord Provost of Edinburgh, highly commended the value of the conference, expressing her hope that the event would foster closer connections among participants and be held annually in Edinburgh, ultimately developing into a globally influential international gathering.
The conference not only offered participants a high-quality, diverse cultural and artistic showcase, but also provided an efficient platform for Asia–Europe performing arts collaboration, injecting new vitality into cross-cultural dialogue and industrial cooperation.
Bryson Xue, Head of the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI), stated that the conference had pioneered a new model of institutionalised people-to-people cooperation in the Asia–Europe cultural and artistic sectors. As the organiser, he noted that CECCI plans to make this an annual series of events, inviting broader participation in the future to build a strong driving force for deeper China–Europe industrial collaboration and cultural exchange.
Professor Nie Wei, Vice President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, remarked that the establishment of the Arts Practice Base represents a crucial step in cultivating internationally oriented artistic talent, expressing his hope that it would become an important hub for nurturing innovative ideas and promoting mutual learning in arts education.
Angela Kwon, Founder of the Edinburgh Art Festival Korea, highlighted the enormous potential of cross-regional collaboration, expressing her commitment to working with all parties to make the Korea Season an active bridge linking the cultural markets of East Asia and Europe.
Parel, a representative from the renowned German production company Aurora Nova, observed that the conference demonstrated the vitality and openness of the Chinese market, and expressed his eagerness to leverage the new cooperation mechanisms to introduce more outstanding productions into China, achieving a win–win outcome in both artistic value and market success.
The successful hosting of the 2025 Asia-Europe Culture& Arts Development Forum and the International Performing Arts Connection Conference marks a milestone in deepening cooperation and joint development across the Asia–Europe cultural and artistic landscape.
As the first high-level professional platform jointly created by Chinese and European institutions, the conference engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics such as international exchange, market mechanisms, and integrated development, yielding substantial results.
All participants highly praised the event for establishing a new model of people-to-people cultural exchange, agreeing that it had injected strong momentum into mutual learning among civilisations and enhanced people-to-people connectivity, providing a solid platform for high-quality cultural cooperation under the “Belt and Road” Initiative.
The broad consensus and cooperative foundations built through this conference are expected to strongly advance Asia–Europe cultural and artistic development and promote extensive people-to-people exchanges across various fields between Asia and Europe.
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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.