Mandarin Excellence Programme Northern Hub Culture Day

Students from Northern schools have spent the day at the University of Leeds for a Chinese Culture Day run by the East Asian Studies Department (EAST) with support from the Business Confucius Institute at the University of Leeds (BCI).

The Culture Day on Monday 30 April was organised for schools in the North of England participating in the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP), which is funded by the Department for Education and delivered by the UCL Institute of Education in partnership with the British Council.

140 students from Ingleby Manor, Shevington High, Upton Hall and Crossley Heath enjoyed a full day of activities including an author talk, song-writing workshop, and a meeting with current students at the University.

The BCI provided a workshop on calligraphy and Chinese painting for the enthusiastic schoolchildren, covering basic calligraphy techniques and showing the budding artists how to paint pandas using Chinese ink.

This ‘Northern Hub’ event aimed to expand the opportunities available to MEP schools in this region, as the majority of participating schools are still based in London and the South of England. The University of Leeds, with one of the longest-established Mandarin departments in the country, is an inspiring place for these young students to visit and see just what could be possible if they continue learning Mandarin in the future.