Arts

Children and dragons celebrate Chinese New Year

The beginning of the Year of the Ox was celebrated in style with a variety of events on and off the Colchester Campus.

Art work by children from the University Nursery went on show at a special event aimed at dispelling myths surrounding this important day in the Chinese calendar.

The youngsters displayed their work about the story surrounding the Nian monster and the origin of Chinese Zodiacs on a stall at a Jiangsu Festival event held in Colchester Castle Park.

The stall was co-ordinated by U8 Essex, the University's international development society, and was part of a “myth buster” campaign for clearer understanding between different cultures.

Meanwhile staff and students on the Colchester Campus were treated to an impressive Chinese New Year Lion Dance, which tradition says brings good luck to the households or businesses which they visit. In keeping with tradition, the dance was accompanied by loud music played on a large drum, gong and cymbals.

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Theatrical delights

Theatre productions at the Lakeside Theatre over the next four weeks range from the serious to the sublime.

The End of Everything Now draws on the true stories of the Kindertransport and is performed in English, Czech, German and Norwegian (7.30pm on Friday 20 February). The following week Ape involves three performers who copy and ape each other’s behaviour (7.30pm on Thursday 24 February). There is also Lola-The Life of Lola Montez, the story of a Spanish dancer  (7.30pm on Thursday 5 March).

Jazz music at the Lakeside comes from Tim Garland’s Lighthouse Project (8.30pm on Saturday 21 February) and The Will Collier Septet (8.30pm on Saturday 28 February). Tim Garland is one of the UK’s most successful jazz musical exports while The Will Collier Septet have just released their debut recording, Everybody Loves the Will Collier Septet.

For more information and to book tickets, please see: www.essex.ac.uk/artson5

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Chinese art at an end

The University’s This is China project, in partnership with firstsite, concludes on Thursday 19 February.

This is China involved a range of events, such as a soy sauce and tomato ketchup fight by controversial live art performers Mad for Real at the Colchester Campus and in Colchester’s Castle Park, an exhibition of posters from the Cultural Revolution and a critical debate programme.

Chinese artist Sun Xun also completes his residency in the University Gallery on Thursday 19 February. During his time at Essex, he has created a new work inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Xun’s art was also discussed at a lecture with Beijing-based curator, writer and art historian, Karen Smith, who was visiting Colchester as part of the University’s focus on China.

Organised as part of the Jiangsu-Essex Festival, This is China was made possible by support from Essex County Council and Essex alumni.

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Also in the printed February edition of Wyvern:

• Children ban bullying with a brushstroke
• Does tolerance stretch to the intolerable?