An Arts Council England funded project, which began with two sold out performances for the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival, is set to conclude this month at the Chinese New Year Festival in front of crowds of up to a minimum 40,000 people including online audiences with an expected reach of 2 million views.
Last September a group of actors and actresses of Chinese heritage received VIP invites to Birmingham Council House to meet with Chinese dignatories to celebrate 76th years of the Republic of China. They went on to perform at two sold out performances at the Birmingham Conference Centre celebrating the Chinese creation myth for the Mid Autumn Festival for the Chinese Festival Committee and another performance at the Ming Moon Restaurant in the Chinese Quarter for the Birmingham Chinatown Business Association.
"The setting was a farmhouse in 1942 in Guangdong Province" explained playwright Ian Henery "during the Japanese Occupation of China during World War Two. This is the period we have researched preceding migration to Birmingham at the end of the War".
However, the key to the Arts Council England had to be authenticity and repect for the Chinese pioneers to Birmingham. A series of workshops were set up at the Birmingham Chinese Community Centre by Dr Martin Partridge, Senior Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton. The purpose of these workshops were to explore personal stories, sense of belonging and gendered experiences and to understand wellbeing and intergenerational coping strategies.
‘This pre-production theatre development originates from the memories, lived experiences and authentic voices of the Chinese community in Birmingham who migrated to the city in the 1950’s" said Ian Henery. "The Birmingham Chinese Community Centre`s activities and workshops contributed and led to a professional full script being written. A short Scratch Performance was to be performed to industry experts and project participants for feedback and filmed to promote the play for next stage production funding and wider reach.’
Featuring a all Chinese cast of actors and actresses, the project was managed by Dr Ranjit Khutan who is South Asian Ambassador and Trustee at The Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton. Dr Ranjit is also an award-winning playwright whose outstanding work in championing marginalised communities was recognised as one of the 100 Black Country Masters by Creative Black Country.
The Scratch Play was written by Polly Yiu, Vy-Liam Ng and Chi Lam, all of whom are alumini of New Earth Theatre based at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The play was based on the research at Birmingham Chinese Community Centre by Dr Martin Partridge and filmed in the Ming Moon Restaurant in the Chinese Quarter. Filming was done by Diyodi Devinda Menon, who is also a lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton specialising in media and communications. Diyodi has previous experience of working with Arts Council England grants to extend reach through digital and film engagement.
"Through creative community workshops trainee writers and actors captured and refined authentic voices and experiences with a professional scriptwriter who mentored crafting a professional script leading to Scratch Performance" said Ian Henery. "It also prepared for a future theatre production with the working title ‘Coming to Birminghamham: Making of a Modern City'.
The results of the work are an authentic and ambitious script, namely a high-quality, experimental theatrical script, exploring non-linear storytelling and visual theatre reflecting diverse and complex experiences of the Birmingham Chinese community through artistic innovation.
"Dr Martin Partridge did a great job at the Birmingham Chinese Community Centre" explained Ian. "It was a safe and accessible space for story sharing via spoken word, poetry, creative writing and recorded sound and visual soundbites, addressing barriers of the older generation and language variances. I am grateful for everything Dr Martin and Dr Ranjit has done, plus Diyodi coming down to the Biirmingham Chinese Community Centre, filming the workshop participants sharing their lived experiences. It encouraged meaningful dialogue of shared experiences."
Another benefit of the research for the script writers was increased cultural understanding and sector impact. "The golden thread running through Dr Martin`s research" said Ian "was sacrifice. It promoted greater understanding of the Chinese community's contributions to British society to a wider audience. It also developed pathways for emerging Chinese British artists, contributing to a more inclusive and representative arts sector".
Through the involvement of South Asian Ambassador Dr Ranjit Khutan, the project saw artistic development and skills building for the young Chinese writers. "It provided mentoring and opportunities for Chinese British artists to develop skills & showcase talent through playwriting, performance and digital media, fostering professional growth" explained Ian Henery.
The creative writing of the young Chinese writers challenges conventional narratives and contemporary relevance. It centers the voices and experiences of the Birmingham Chinese community to address contemporary debates on migration and identity, relevant to current societal conversations and foster dialogue.
"What Polly, Vy-liam and Chi have done" said Ian "is to blend theatrical styles, drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese storytelling and contemporary Western theatre practices, to create a unique and engaging theatrical experience. It integrates community input into the script development process, ensuring the final product reflects their diverse perspectives with respectful representation. There is also an exploration of mental wellbeing, presenting the realistic human cost of migration and adapting to a new culture".
Photograph
Left to right - Diyodi Devinda Memnon, Vy-Liam Ng, Polly Yiu, Ian Henery, Chi Lam & Dr Ranjit Khutan
