• #ReConnect – a hybrid festival featuring online and offline work by leading British art and cultural organisations and artists, launched by the British Council.
• Partnering with over 35 cultural organisations from the UK and China, the Festival offers thought provoking and stimulating experiences with British arts and culture.
• The Festival presents the diverse breadth of contemporary UK arts, culture and education to inspire and connect audiences in China and beyond with British creativity.
• The Festival aims to strengthen the connection between China and the UK through shared values in culture and education.

BEIJING, KUNMING, SHANGHAI, SHENZHEN AND ZHENGZHOU – Media OutReach – 6 September 2021 – The British Council launched the 2021 UK-China Contemporary Culture Festival. Titled #ReConnect, this year’s edition is a hybrid festival featuring work by leading British art and cultural organisations and artists via online and offline platforms, offering audiences in China an opportunity to reconnect with British art from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Organised by the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities, and sponsored by the Welsh Government, the festival will present nearly 40 cultural performances and projects online and offline in multiple cities across China between 1 and 20 September 2021.

“We are delighted to be a partner of the British Council, supporting the 2021 UK-China Contemporary Culture Festival to give people in China an opportunity to experience three wonderful examples of art and culture from Wales.The theme of the festival, reconnecting, is more important now than ever – reconnecting with our environment and our communities, both locally and across borders. I hope our contribution to the festival will encourage audiences to do just that, building new cultural connections between our two nations” said Rt Hon Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales.

Focusing on three different themes, the Festival will encourage audiences to #ReConnect with nature, community and the self through a variety of exhibitions, talks, panel discussions, film screenings and performances. #ReConnect with Nature will explore the deep relationship between humans and nature; #ReConnect with Community will explore the connection and consequence of human experience and our community; and #ReConnect with Self will support individuals to increase empathy and self-awareness.

Highlight projects under #ReConnect with Nature include:

• British visual artist Celyn Bricker’s first solo exhibition in China, titled The Fifth Season. Bringing together interactive, AI generated artworks, paintings and prototypes, the exhibition held in Beijing will explore our relationship with nature and new technology.
• An online talk held in partnership with the Natural History Museum, -titled Our Broken Planet: How We Got Here and Ways to Fix It will see young changemakers from the UK and China debate why and how our relationship with the natural world needs to change.
• Eye of the Storm, a documentary film featuring Scottish landscape painter James Morrison will be screened in Shanghai, directed by award-winning director Anthony Baxter.
• Dog Ballet, from the London International Festival of Theatre, is a webinar about a new participatory work of public art to celebrate the community around dogs and their owners to appreciate the joy and tenderness that can be found in these relationships of mutual care.

#ReConnect with Community will share work from the UK that places emphasis on the changing nature of community, as well as talks from leading arts and cultural experts alongside knowledge sharing events from dance and theatre producers. Selected highlights include:

• O’r Graig, a short documentary featuring slate mines in North Wales, which have recently been designated UNESCO heritage status.
• Journey to the Eyeth Art, a virtual art gallery showcasing the creativity of deaf artists in an imaginary world called Eyeth and a celebration of inclusiveness in the art for all.
• Match Make is a series of short films which paired 8 dance artists and 8 artist collaborators during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which include natural, industrial, rural, urban and coastal settings throughout Northern Ireland.  

#ReConnect with Self will focus on activities that explore mental health and well-being. Highlight projects include:

• Time to Dance China, an international digital collaboration between the Scottish Ballet and Shanghai International Dance Centre designed to deliver dementia-friendly dance activities for elderly people as well as a dance film screening.
• An online solo exhibition of works by award-winning British artist Sir Christopher Le Brun, in addition to an online talk between Sir Christopher Le Brun and renowned art critic, writer and curator Shen Qilan.

“At this time of limited travel, we are excited to once again bring some of the most dynamic and vibrant artistic and cultural performances, exhibitions and talks from the UK to audiences in China and offer people the choice to experience these in person or online. With the theme of #ReConnect, we hope to inspire our audience to re-evaluate their relationship with the natural environment, their community, and themselves. The world is going though unprecedented changes at this time, and arts and culture have the power to bring people together through presenting programmes in partnership with institutions and artists in the UK and China. The Festival acts as a platform to share knowledge, spark discussions and stimulate thinking among our audiences.” Said Rehana Mughal, Director Arts for the British Council China.

Programme list

Media kit

#ReConnect

2021 UK-China Contemporary Culture Festival

Organiser: British Council

Sponsor: The Welsh Government

Period: 1-20 September 2021

Festival portal: http://reconnect.britishcouncil.cn/  

British Council WeChat ‘bc-china’ and ‘UK_NOW’

British Council Weibo @英国大使馆文化教育处, @艺述英国

Festival visual material bank:

Baidu Cloud Link: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1v-0MiFLbomjVJFHsQVpUxw  

Pin: p7wt

Notes to editors

The Welsh Government

Wales is a country in the UK with distinctive traditions, heritage, culture and language. It is known as a land of song and a country steeped in myth and legend, which, when you see the awe-inspiring landscape, is no surprise.

The Welsh national anthem picks out ‘beirdd a chantorion’ – the poets and singers – for special mention. Today, the Welsh music and arts scenes are alive with the sounds of bilingual music, poetry, art, and everything in between.

Learn more about Wales at wales.com

#BritishCouncil #ReConnect

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. Last year we reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive a 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government.

www.britishcouncil.cn

Please visit our official website in Chinese and English for detailed programme.

Festival visual material bank:

Baidu Cloud Link: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1v-0MiFLbomjVJFHsQVpUxw

Pin: p7wt

We will update our programme on daily basis through our social media accounts, please stay tuned with us on:

Weibo @英国大使馆文化教育处 @艺述英国

Wechat

bc-china (英国大使馆文化教育处)

UK_NOW (艺述英国)

Following the success of an online mooncake fair last year in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sinpopo Brand honours Mid-Autumn traditions this year with an intricate collection of luxury mooncakes that will be available online and in stores.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 6 September 2021 – Singaporeans can still get their yearly dose of the Mid-Autumn dessert from Sinpopo Brand‘s website by ordering online. Mooncake lovers can look forward to a total of four new flavours from the brand – Sinpopo’s Gula Melaka Mooncake, Kaya Matcha Single Yolk, Black Gold Double Yolk and Five Treasures in White Lotus.

Mooncakes That Look Good and Taste Good

Packed in boxes of four, Sinpopo Brand’s luxury mooncake collection comes in a stylish grey and gold rattan-woven reusable chest which features matching mooncake tins with gold detailing – paying homage to traditional Asian designs with its rattan exterior. The collectible boxes will also be delivered in an elegant matching suede-finish bag to complete the experience.

The mooncakes themselves are also a feast for the eyes, coming in a four gorgeous colours – green, black, rose and brown.

A crowd-favourite of the quad – the Sinpopo’s Gula Melaka Mooncake ‑ is the brand’s signature flavour. Encased with a natural rose-tinted skin, Sinpopo’s Gula Melaka Mooncake is filled with delicious premium white lotus making it a real treat for all Sinpopo Brand fans in Singapore.

Packed with local flavour, the Kaya Matcha Single Yolk will be a hit with the younger crowd who will appreciate the richness of matcha combined with the irresistible luscious pandan kaya custard loved by all Singaporeans.

The Five Treasures in White Lotus features a contemporary twist on the traditional Wu Ren or mixed nut mooncake. A healthy mix of cranberries, golden fruit, toasted pumpkin seeds, almond and hazelnuts encased, the Five Treasures in White Lotus is made with premium white lotus.

Last but not least, the all-time favourite Black Gold Double Yolk comes with Portuguese golden custard and two yolks enveloped by the classic charcoal skin.

Enticing Discount Available Online

Singaporeans who have set their hearts on Sinpopo Brand’s luxury mooncake collection can enjoy $22 savings on every chest of mooncakes with the promotional code: “BAKED22” on www.sinpopo.com.

Each Mid-Autumn Collection Chest comes with four delectable mooncakes in four different flavours and will cost $88 before discount. Free delivery is available with a minimum spend of $120. Alternatively, customers can also choose to pick up their mooncakes in stores at no additional charge.

About Sinpopo Brand

Sinpopo Brand is a home-grown brand that remains firmly rooted in Singapore’s local culture and cuisine by creating artisanal bakes and bites to pay homage to the country’s heritage flavours. In recent years, it has also expanded to include new concepts such as the Sinpopo Brand Coffee and Sinpopo Brand Grocer. For more information, please visit https://www.sinpopo.com/.

#SinpopoBrand

MILAN, ITALY – Media OutReach – 6 September 2021 – OPPO the smart device manufacturer and innovator has partnered with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to create Bamboo (竹) Ring :|| Weaving a Symphony of Lightness and Form. The multi-sensory installation works to the theme “Creative Connections” by fusing Architecture with Music, design innovation, technological prowess, and user experience to create a sense of time and space, and will be on display in Milan’s Cortile dei Bagni courtyard for the duration of Milan Design Week, until 19 September.

Bamboo (竹) Ring :||  Weaving a Symphony of Lightness and Form by OPPO x Kengo Kuma

This landmark project is an evolution of Kengo Kuma and OPPO’s Bamboo Ring exhibition which debuted at the 2019 edition of the London Design Festival and explored the harmonious relationship between humans and nature through the envisioning of lightweight yet strong structures made with bamboo and carbon fiber. This year, OPPO’s experiential installation uses pioneering technology to engage all the senses through a series of orchestral scores composed by Japanese violinist Midori Komachi with Musicity.

The composition is based on the cycle of seasons and moves through the structure encouraging the public to walk around and be captured by its aural narrative. The changing soundscapes integrate the sound of Midori’s violin (built in Milan in 1920 and enhanced with carbon fiber itself) from O Relax, OPPO’s digital wellbeing application that offers comforting nature and city sounds to relax your mind taken from locations around the globe including Reykjavik, Beijing, and Tokyo. 

“OPPO is a human-centric brand, our focus is on innovating for the people. We are delighted to partner with Kengo Kuma again, an architect who is known for seamlessly integrating nature and culture. Together, we demonstrate how we can use technology and design to add value to our daily lives drawing on our philosophy principles of “Technology as an Art Form” and  our brand mission “Technology for Mankind, Being Kind to the World.” – Jintong Zhu, Head of OPPO London Design Centre

The installation’s woven structure – crafted from rings of bamboo and carbon fiber – becomes a musical instrument as music travels through it via structural sound technologies originating from OPPO London Design Centre’s research. Innovative technology including new haptic motors, MEMS speaker strips, and exciters work together to produce an immersive base and higher frequencies which reverberate the bamboo with Violin’s vibrato and the effect of a percussion instrument.

“When I design architecture, I’m interested in designing the rhythm and the tone rather than the silhouette, and contemporary music gives us many lessons about how to create new rhythms and tones in architecture. This pavilion is one of the explorations into the new rhythms and tones in architecture combining visual and acoustic experiences of the visitors.” – Kengo Kuma, architect

After Milan Design Week, OPPO will donate Bamboo Ring to Arte Sella Park in Trentino, Italy, a contemporary art museum with outdoor exhibits made from natural materials and backdropped by the mountainous Sella Valley, where it will find its permanent home.

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first smartphone – “Smiley Face” – in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO operates in more than 40 countries and regions, with 6 Research Institutes and 4 R&D Centers worldwide, as well as an International Design Centre in London. OPPO’s more than 40,000 employees are dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.
www.oppo.com
@oppo

#OPPOMilanDesignWeek

About Kengo Kuma

Kengo Kuma (b.1954) decided to pursue architecture at a young age, after seeing Kenzo Tange’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He studied Architecture at The University of Tokyo (completing a Masters in 1979) and established Kengo Kuma & Associates in 1990. As Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture at The University of Tokyo, he set up the Kuma Lab to research new materials and conduct a course in advanced digital design and fabrication. His award-winning firm aims to design architecture which naturally merges with its surroundings, proposing gentle, human-scaled buildings. The office is constantly in search of new materials to replace concrete and steel, and seeks a new approach in a post-industrial society.

With 82% of Singaporeans willing to consider paying more for eco-friendly homes, PropertyGuru champions sustainable urban living

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 6 September 2021 – PropertyGuru Group (‘PropertyGuru’ or ‘the Group’), Southeast Asia’s leading property technology (“PropTech”) company, today announced the launch of ‘PropertyGuru Green Score‘ (‘Green Score’), a sustainability rating attributed to condominiums and HDBs listed on Propertyguru.com.sg. Green Score empowers property seekers in Singapore to learn how eco-friendly their present or new home is, and to support environment-friendly lifestyles. The Green Score of a project is based on the proximity to public transport (within 400m), green building rating assessment such as BCA Green Mark certification, and sustainability awards won from ‘PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards‘, Asia’s biggest property awards program, with additional relevant criteria to be added in the future. The score ranges from 1-5, denoting average, good and excellent sustainability rating of the project.

Green Score addresses the increasing demand among property seekers to make sustainable life choices, especially around choosing their future home. PropertyGuru’s latest H2 2021 Consumer Sentiment Study found that 82% of Singaporeans are willing to consider paying more for an environmentally sustainable home, with their top three sustainability features comprising smart cooling systems, high-insulation windows and doors, and solar panels. This willingness demonstrates more ecological and socially conscious behaviour across generations, from Millennials (83%) and Generation X (79%) to Baby Boomers (86%). Markedly, 81% of Singaporeans voiced the need to preserve forested areas from urban development, despite the city state’s limited land space.

Hari V. Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, PropertyGuru Group, said, “As the region’s proptech leader, we felt it was our responsibility to enable and drive this change in sustainable urban living. Since last year, we have ramped up our programs, tech capabilities, talent, and partnerships to promote sustainable urban living and influence positive changes in our community. Green Score practically enables Singaporeans to prioritise ‘sustainability’ as a consideration in their property decisions. Since its soft launch in February 2021, nearly 2 million property seekers have viewed the Green Score.

We commit to making changes in our own business to meet the goals stated in the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and to building a better home for our future generations. In time, we hope that sustainable living will be a natural way of life, and each of us will place environmental considerations top-of-mind.”

Green initiatives at PropertyGuru Group

As part of its commitment towards sustainability and to fight climate change, PropertyGuru has undertaken several initiatives:

• Published over 100 green living guides to help increase the awareness of sustainable living practices among over 37 million property seekers that visit PropertyGuru’s leading marketplaces in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
• Introduced awards categories to recognise sustainable projects at its ‘PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards‘ for property developers in Southeast Asia and key markets in South Asia, East Asia, and Australia. Since the launch of the Green and Sustainable Development categories in 2014 and 2016, respectively, PropertyGuru has seen an increase of 50% in entries of green or sustainable projects. In addition, the Asia Property Awards programme’s annual proptech and thought leadership platform ‘PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit‘ established the Tech Innovation Award in 2018 to recognise green tech or sustainable initiatives of startups in the region.
• Launched ‘GreenGuru’ internal program for its over 1,700 employees in Southeast Asia. GreenGuru initiatives include – educational programs (Green Hour) for sustainable living, the addition of e-waste, recycling bins and replacing single-use plastics with reusable food containers in offices, and a Green Travel Policy for the Group. PropertyGuru also hosts regular fun green challenges to encourage employees to switch to a vegetarian lunch, use public transport, and avoid plastic bottles for a month to reduce individual carbon emissions.
• This year, PropertyGuru is working on a Greenhouse Gas Emission Audit & Reduction Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To check a project’s PropertyGuru Green Score, property seekers can visit the project page for condos and HDBs on PropertyGuru.com.sg. More information on Green Score is available here.  

Links to some recent articles on green living:

PropertyGuru Green Score: Top 10 Most Eco-Friendly Condos in Singapore

PropertyGuru Green Score: Top 12 Greenest HDB Projects

PropertyGuru Green Score: 5 Most Eco-Friendly Districts in Singapore

About PropertyGuru Group

PropertyGuru Group is Southeast Asia’s leading property technology company[1] and the preferred destination for 37 million property seekers to find their dream home, every month. PropertyGuru and its group companies empower property seekers with more than 2.8 million real estate listings, in-depth insights, and solutions that enable them to make confident property decisions across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

PropertyGuru.com.sg was launched in 2007 and has helped to drive the Singapore property market online and has made property search transparent for the property seeker. Over the decade, the Group has grown into a high-growth technology company with a robust portfolio of leading property portals across its core markets company ¹ ; award-winning mobile apps; a high quality developer sales enablement platform, FastKey; mortgage marketplace PropertyGuru Finance; and a host of other property offerings including Awards, events and publications across Asia.

For more information, please visit www.PropertyGuruGroup.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/propertyguru