Cultural workshops

This workshop is for beginners who have not studied Mandarin before or have only studied the basics. We will introduce some interesting aspects of Chinese culture and basic daily expressions such as greetings, self-introduction, thank you and goodbye. We will also teach participants numbers 1-10 with hand gestures. Our teachers apply a communicative approach, using lots of speaking practice and interactive games.

• This is our most popular workshop and suitable for all age groups.

In this workshop we will introduce aspects of Chinese culture and folk customs related to the Chinese New Year period and tell interesting stories, like where the Chinese character ?(year)came from. We will also share facts about traditional foods and how families celebrate China's biggest festival with each other. There is even a very popular 'Happy New Year' song that we can teach you.

• This workshop is suitable for all age groups.

Originating in ancient China, tai chi is regarded as one of the most effective exercises for mental and physical health. In this workshop participants will be shown basic Chen style tai chi movements to relaxing music by an experienced instructor. We suggest that a venue with plenty of space is used for this activity e.g. a school assembly hall or an open outdoor space if the weather permits.

• Our Five Animals Taichi workshop is suitable for primary schools
• Our Gongfu Fans workshop is suitable for secondary schools and adults

In this workshop we will introduce one or more traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the zither, er hu or Chinese flute by letting participants interact with the instrument. Our teacher will play a piece of music using the instrument to demonstrate, whilst students will be encouraged to use some smaller and simpler instruments to play along to the same beat.

Students may also be taught a simple song and take part in an interactive quiz about Chinese music. Please note that the individual instruments used will depend on our staff availability but please get in touch if you have a specific request.

• This workshop is suitable for all age groups.

In this workshop participants will be shown some typical Chinese dance movement styles, for example the Han dance, Tibetan dance, Uygur dance and Dai dance. You will then learn a specific simple dance in time to music e.g. the Han handkerchief dance or Dai peacock dance.

• This workshop is suitable for children from Year 2 or above.

In this workshop we will introduce the history of Chinese calligraphy before participants are then taught the eight basic strokes. After some practice, you will be able to write a Chinese character or phrase in a formal Chinese way, for example the character “?” (happiness). Each individual will be assisted and be able to take a piece of art home at the end. Participants will write calligraphy with the aid of an instructor with all materials provided (organisers will need to provide tables and chairs).

• This workshop is suitable for children in Year 4 or above and adults.
• We can also run drop in sessions where calligraphy works are drawn with and/or given out to the attendees.

Chinese brush painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Traditional painting involves similar techniques to that of calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black ink or coloured pigments (oils are not used).

In this workshop we introduce different types of painting before participants are taught a specific object e.g. bamboo, panda, grapes etc. After practicing, participants will be able to create their own piece of art work.

• This workshop is suitable for children in Year 4 or above and adults.

Paper cutting

Participants will have the opportunity to learn traditional paper cutting. They will be shown a step by step demonstration and learn how to cut a pattern into coloured paper, such as the popular patterns for the Chinese character “?”(spring), or butterfly, panda, etc (this is dependent on the age of the participants). During the lesson we will try to help each individual as much as we can, however please note this may not always be possible.

• For the 'spring' character, we recommend Year 3 and above. For other more simple paper cuts, we recommend Years 1-3 and in general 5 year olds and over.

Paper folding

We will show participants a step by step demonstration of how to fold paper into a jumping frog. Participants can then use their imagination to decorate their own frog and take part in a frog jumping competition. For young children who require an easier alternative, they could instead learn how to make a panda bookmark. This is a very popular workshop, especially for younger children.

• For the jumping frog, we recommend Year 3 and above and for the panda bookmark, Years 1-3.

Knot making

Participants will be taught how to make a basic Chinese knot bracelet in pairs. We recommend this workshop for a small group of adults due to the complexity of the skill and the time required.

• This workshop is suitable for adults.

In this workshop participants have the opportunity to enjoy a demonstration of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. You will learn about the importance of tea culture in China by observing how to make, serve and enjoy a variety of Chinese teas.

• This workshop is suitable for children in Year 4 or above and adults.