Thursday 7 February 2008

Culture 10, East 08' Media Launch 6th of Feb,2008- When the yellow dragon meets the blue dragon

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快樂, 萬事如意!
Today, The weather was so wonderful. It was a really sunny day.
We, four schools finally met together to dance our two lovely dragons. We danced the dragons infront of many people included the children from Shanghai.
We had three performance and won a lovely feedback.
Photo by Chun Chao Chiu

This is our performance vedio clips.
Have a look!

你可以試著到英國BBC的網站 看我們小朋友們精采的演出喔! 只要連到以下的網址
View video from BBC - Look North News
You can look the vedio by click the link bellow
** North East honours Far East **A year-long celebration of Oriental culture has been launched in Newcastle and Gateshead.< http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_7230000/newsid_7230900?redirect=7230904.stm&news=1&bbwm=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1 >

Monday 4 February 2008

Performance Post

Performance Date and Time --- 06 /02 /2008

Place: the square around the Dance City
Time: 10: 30 Am.
Who: 92 students from four schools + two Chinese Dragons.



THE LONG PROJECT
The start of 2008 has seen the UK develop and nurture its ties with China, as the Prime Minister: The Rt Hon Gordon Brown visited the Far East to discuss various key subjects including international and economic issues. The visit holds additional significance as the country hosts the 2008 Olympic Games later in the year, when all eyes will be on the nation's capital Beijing.
Closer to home, Tyne & Wear has become the unofficial hotbed for worldwide relations as artist Dr. Chun-Chao Chiu delivers the culmination of 4 months intensive work, which has seen four NewcastleGateshead-based primary schools develop an on-line relationship with three schools on the other side of the globe in China and Taiwan.
The Long Project has involved Dr. Chun-Chao Chiu teaching nearly 100 young people from Birtley East Community Primary School, Kenton Bar Primary School, Sacred Heart RC Primary School and Greenside Primary School - about the origins of Chinese culture, through the means of storytelling and the creation of two fabulous traditional Chinese Dragons.
The Long Project is a great opportunity for children to directly learn about and experience a different culture by interacting first-hand with people from other ethnicities. The programme is an ideal way for young people to develop self confidence through the various creative stages of the project, such as drawing, painting and the practical aspect of constructing the dancing Chinese Dragons. The project uniquely enforces the true meaning of team work as both the construction process and Dragon Dance procedures require groups of people to work closely together as a unit.
The unique aspect of The Long Project has been the way every step of the creative process has been captured and documented for the world to see on its very own BLOGSPOT - http://longproject.blogspot.com
The Long Project has developed a close relationship with Xin Yuan Xi Li School in Beijing (China), Chi Bi Lu Primary School in Nanjin (China) and WanFu Elementary School in Taipei (Taiwan), which has also seen the Far Eastern schools develop and post (upload) their paintings and facts about the Chinese Dragon online with the intention of sharing the information with their UK counterparts. It shows a clever use of technology to unify youth communities on a global scale.
The blog has served as a cultural platform for the pupils from the UK, China and Taiwan to communicate online with each other. All of the participants have been provided with access to the web-blog enabling them to contribute their views and feedback via the website.
The UK participants have been given the chance to sample an exciting and realistic experience, as they develop a cultural awareness by directly communicating with young people from a different society [Far East]. Likewise for those pupils in China and Taiwan, they have learnt how to appreciate the values and customs of their own culture by sharing knowledge about Chinese traditions and observing online how the information is interpreted by a group of children from a western country.

Quote from Garry Smith, Strictly Press

Comment from Taipei

Ms. Lo,
我個人非常高興有這個機會與您合作
而且非常佩服您可以從無到有
帶著外國的小朋友認識中國文化
甚至具體的製作與實踐舞龍的精神
就連本國的小學
要實施起來也很不容易
更何況您在國外
自我摸索而完成如此艱鉅的任務
可以想像大家參予活動的那股熱情與成就感
是無可取代或比擬的
前兩週在上電腦課時
我上網連結您的網址
廣播給學生觀賞你們的進度
學生們熱烈的討論
彷彿他們也身歷其境般的愉快
就像開始看到他們的畫作在網頁上
一樣的興奮
就連家長也非常認同
能與國外的朋友相互串連交流
的意義重大
因此 我們都要感謝您
所給予的機會
也謝謝您所帶領的小朋友與團隊

Comment from Beijing

Ms. Chu, described that:

在画龙的活动中,孩子们通过查找资料,如:龙的起源、龙的造型、龙的寓意、龙的 精神,以及龙和中华民族的渊源等,更深入地了解中华民族古老的神话。他们独立创作、互相参观和提出建议,修改完善作品,创作了一幅幅生动并寓意深厚的龙的 图画。这些作品在学校的展示窗中展出,得到更多同学、家长、教师的称赞。在元旦联欢会上,他们把自己的作品送给其他同伴,增进了友谊。

这次活动给搭建了交流与合作的平台,使孩子们展示自我、欣赏别人,更加自信;给所有人创造了深入了解中华民族古老文明的机会,我们更加喜欢祖先创造的龙,深刻理解龙的精神,懂得如何做好龙的传人。