The Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Centre (UK) which was established in September 2017 in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter will be officially opened on Friday 25 May by lead members of the Chinese cultural centre and representatives from Nottingham City Council and the Creative Quarter.
The centre is the first of its kind to be opened in Europe and will offer visitors the chance to see exhibitions of Chinese industrial design, painting, graffiti, calligraphy and fine art as well as providing trade and cultural workshops helping businesses learn more about trading with China.
The opening is an important step in Nottingham’s growing cultural links with China which benefit local people, visitors and businesses. The centre will focus on the cultural diversity of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province close to Nottingham’s sister city in China, Ningbo.
It also marks an important addition to Nottingham’s creative hub around Sneinton Market and will play an important role in promoting and enabling commercial exchange, industrial cooperation and resource sharing between creative businesses in China and the UK.
The Hangzhou Creative Design Centre is a government sponsored company in Hangzhou to promote the creative and digital industry sector in Hangzhou, similar to Nottingham’s Creative Quarter.
The new Nottingham centre will be a mixed-use facility, with workshops, exhibitions, engagement with businesses and local residents, generating jobs for local citizens and promoting cordial relations.
Councillor Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Growth, said: “Nottingham is a city which is proud of its global connections and is home to citizens and businesses from many different cultures including China.
“Nottingham is an open, outward looking city which is engaging with the world and wants to use opportunities like this to promote trade and investment and share cultural experiences with China.
“The launch of this venture in Nottingham is a tangible way for us to show how this relationship brings real benefits for the people of Nottingham.”
Stephen Barker, Chief Executive Creative Quarter Nottingham; “The City of Hangzhou choosing Nottingham for what is effectively its first creative embassy anywhere in the world is a massive vote of confidence in Nottingham’s creative economy and the city’s position as a gateway to the UK market.
“In setting up shop in Sneinton Market it’s clear they know it’s the new place to be in Nottingham, but this is not just an opportunity for the Chinese, it’s a great chance for Nottingham’s creative businesses to connect with the massive Chinese market. A chance not to be missed.”