Highlights in the festival included a site-specific drama about a British Chinese family: Citizens of Nowhere?; a combination of Chinese and European instruments as a part of LSO’s ‘East meets West’ series: Chinese String Quartet & LSO Strings; live ping pong percussion with a piano trio as a part of Southbank’s ‘Soundstate‘ festival; and a fusion of Debussy’s music with a Chinese classic story: Lao Can Impression. 

Neither Here Nor There explored a sense of belonging and what community is; Global Soundscapes/Tangram: Yangqin Trio showcased experimental classical music with perfume and avant-garde Chinese music in a double bill concert at LSO St Luke’s; Ghost Girl//Gwei Mui/鬼妹 told the real story of a Chinese girl growing up in a white family; Love Songs mixes get-on-the-dance-floor music, rap and spoken word; and finally Red INK was a thrilling mix of break/hip-hop and contemporary dance based on calligraphy.

Download the CAN Festival 2019 brochure here.

Audience feedback

Citizens of Nowhere?
‘Important subject matter performed with force. More people need to see this performance. Such an intimate way to feel this story. Beautiful.’

Ghost Girl // Gwei Mui
‘A beautifully nuanced piece which needs to be seen up and down the country… left me emotionally raw.’

Neither Here Nor There
‘Thought-provoking/challenging, friend-making. The piece stays with you.’

Red INK
‘Wonderful – dynamic and lyrical. Really spoke to me.’

Lastly, we are grateful to our Pioneer Supporters whose contribution enabled us to programme such an exciting first Festival: 朱卡通, Hanue Chan, Chen-Kuang Chang, Chi-Hsien Chu, Wendy Huang, Nicholas James, Annie Lee, Michelle Lin, Xiao Lu, Sino Pac Securities Europe Ltd, Bank of Taiwan, Shu Yang, Christine Yau MBE.