Edinburgh, Scotland – 8th May — Chinese Culture Week (CCW), an annual international celebration of Chinese arts and heritage during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, will return in August 2025 with its most ambitious programme yet. With the theme “Echoes of Time | 时之回响”, CCW 2025 invites audiences across the globe to engage with living traditions from China that continue to shape the world today.
What is Chinese Culture Week (CCW)?
Chinese Culture Week is an intercultural initiative that brings Chinese artists, creators, educators, and performers to one of the world’s largest arts festivals—the Edinburgh Fringe. First launched in 2024, CCW is designed not just as a showcase, but as a platform for meaningful cultural dialogue between China and the rest of the world. Through theatre, exhibitions, workshops, and live performances, CCW offers a rare opportunity to experience Chinese culture not as a monolith, but as a dynamic, evolving conversation.
Who is behind it?
CCW is curated and produced by the Intercultural Connections Initiative (ICI), a Scotland-registered community interest company dedicated to fostering cultural exchange through the performing arts. ICI is led by a young and international team of cultural producers, educators, and creative strategists, with roots in both East and West. Together, they bring a fresh perspective to global cultural engagement—one grounded in empathy, innovation, and long-term partnership.
Why now?
At a time of shifting geopolitics and increasing polarisation, CCW stands for creative diplomacy. It sees cultural experience as a powerful antidote to misunderstanding—and art as a language that transcends borders.
“We believe that cultural exchange must be lived, felt, and seen,” says Winnie Wen, founder of ICI.
“CCW isn’t about performance as spectacle. It’s about making room for shared memory, mutual recognition, and long-term friendship.”
This year’s theme: “Echoes of Time | 时之回响”
The 2025 theme highlights elements of Chinese culture that have endured across thousands of years—rituals, crafts, and performance traditions that continue to evolve rather than fossilise. The programme will include physical theatre, traditional and contemporary music, visual arts, heritage crafts, and collaborative works with British artists and institutions. Special attention will be given to young voices and community-based storytelling.
Our mission
CCW is committed to:
– Showcasing the diversity and vitality of Chinese culture in ways that resonate globally.
– Creating platforms for emerging and established artists from China and the world to collaborate and grow.
– Making cultural heritage accessible, especially to young audiences and new learners.
– Reimagining cultural diplomacy through long-term relationships, not one-off performances.
Looking ahead
With an expanding footprint and international partnerships in development across Europe, Asia, and North America, CCW aims to become a global touchpoint for 21st-century cultural exchange—rooted in tradition, driven by curiosity.
The full programme and artist lineup will be announced in June 2025. For press inquiries, early access, or interviews with featured artists or ICI leadership, please visit our website:
www.chinesecultureweek.com
Follow CCW on Instagram (@ccw.festival) and Red (跨文化交流协会) for news, stories, and behind-the-scenes insights.
