Last week, with the visit of the iStage Academy (iStage) delegation, artistic collaboration between China and Liverpool once again took center stage. With the meticulous organisation and hospitality of the Liverpool China Cooperation Organisation, both sides gained a deeper understanding of each other, enhancing cultural and artistic exchange, and laying a solid foundation for future potential collaborative projects.
iStage is renowned for its deep insight into the cultural and creative industries and its advocacy of holistic education. The academy offers a range of professional performing arts courses, including musical theatre, vocal performance, dance, and acting techniques, dedicated to creating a personalised artistic education experience. In addition to its partnerships with renowned schools both domestically and internationally, iStage also focuses on incubating original musical theatre works and promoting international exchange and collaboration in cultural creativity.
Liverpool, a city known for its rich cultural heritage and innovative cultural practices, is renowned worldwide. From the legendary music of The Beatles to pioneering explorations in modern art, Liverpool has consistently been at the forefront of the art world. The city has a long and fruitful history of cooperation with China in the arts. The two sides have engaged in deep collaboration in areas such as art exhibitions, cultural program exchanges, and arts education, not only fostering mutual understanding and respect between Chinese and British cultures but also providing platforms for artists in both regions to showcase their talents. iStage’s visit not only continued this tradition but also opened up new avenues for performing arts collaboration.
Key locations for iStage’s visit included the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and the Everyman Theatre. LIPA, an arts institution co-founded by Paul McCartney of The Beatles and other partners, not only offers industry-related courses but also provides students with abundant practical opportunities. The success of LIPA exemplifies how Liverpool nurtures the next generation of artists through education and practice, driving cultural innovation.
LIPA is also a member of the Liverpool China Cooperation Organisation. Its headquarters are located at the former sites of the Liverpool Institute and Liverpool Art College, where Paul McCartney and another Beatles member, George Harrison, once studied, and where John Lennon, the lead singer of The Beatles, attended art college. The holistic education philosophy of iStage aligns seamlessly with LIPA’s practical teaching approach, signalling the potential for deeper collaboration in arts education and creation.
Through this visit, iStage and the Liverpool China Cooperation Organisation explored broader cooperation opportunities, adding new dimensions to the artistic exchange between Liverpool and China. This not only strengthened the connection between the two regions in the field of performing arts but also contributed to the development of the global cultural and creative industries.
Looking ahead, with the continuous deepening and expansion of collaboration, we have every reason to believe that artistic cooperation between China and Liverpool will continue to flourish, bringing more breathtaking cultural and artistic creations to the world and jointly creating a new chapter in Sino-British cultural exchange.
