195 cultural, art events scheduled before year's end

Shenzhen residents can look forward to 195 cultural and art events in the coming months, as announced at a press conference today for the first Shenzhen Community Art Season, which will kick off June 24.

Singers celebrate on stageduring a 2024 concert featuring original songs. Photos courtesy of the Shenzhen Community Art Season organizers

Through collaboration between city and district-level government departments, communities, institutions, companies, and schools, the season will feature 195 events across 20 themes and six series.

These events will cover visual arts, music, dance, theater, traditional Chinese culture, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area integration, and urban arts education, according to Liu Wenbin, president of the Shenzhen Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

Dancers perform during the 2024 edition of Shenzhen Dance Month.

Among the 20 themed events, residents can enjoy familiar festivals such as Shenzhen Dance Month, the Lianhuashan Glades Music Festival, Art Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Cartoon and Animation Festival, and the Shenzhen Bay Public Art Season. The lineup also includes a wide variety of performances, exhibitions, and more.

In addition, the season will feature 31 theatrical productions, including opera and traditional Chinese opera, with the highly anticipated Shenzhen-produced dance drama "Wing Chun" set to debut in the second half of the year.

The Shenzhen-produced dance drama “Wing Chun” will premiere in the second half of the year as part of the Shenzhen Community Art Season.

Audiences can also enjoy 42 visual arts events as well as 32 dance and music performances that blend traditional and contemporary art. The season will include cultural events promoting collaboration between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, along with educational lectures.

Residents can check the full schedule of events on the WeChat accounts of Shenzhen Fabu (id: szwbfbt) and the Shenzhen Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles (id: szwenlian).

Audience members enjoy a stage performance during a community art event in Yantian District, 2024.

A handy service for the public was introduced by Ding Zhongyuan, deputy director-general of Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau, during the conference. Residents can now organize group orders for art courses through the "Shenyitong" (深艺通) WeChat miniprogram.

A resident initiates a group order for a specific course. Once enough participants join, the system matches them with teachers and venues to make the class happen. Currently, there are 10 available course categories, such as singing, musical instruments, dance, photography, drama, sports, and language.