Chinese Culture Club (Pilot)

This is an opportunity for anyone interested in the Chinese culture, both traditional and contemporary to meet up and build a community together. We will explore wide and far, from language learning games using theatre-inspired exercises, singing, qigong-inspired meditation, storytelling, through to chats around various aspects of Chinese culture.

Both families and individuals are very welcomed, but parents/carers need to stay with their children (recommended age: 6+) during the session.

In this first session, I have prepared an activity and some discussion prompts to explore the subject of Chinese Names – what is in a Chinese name? Is it true that every Chinese name mean something? For exampe, In Maisie Chan’s Danny Chung Doesn’t Do Maths (a prize-winning children’s novel), the grandma character is named Dong Mei, which Chan explained meant Winter Plum (as in the fruit). It filled my head with questions and I’d love to hear your view on them.

About me: I’m Sheryl, a Tai Chi instructor, art translator and aspiring writer of human story. A winner of the European Cultural Foundation 2024 The Europe Challenge Writing Competition, a CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) qualified Exercise to Music Group Fitness Instructor, Laban Dance Fitness Instructor, Tai Chi Qigong for Wellbeing instructor and a Traditional Chinese Works of Art translation specialist, I was born and raised in Hong Kong, went to university (UMich Ann Arbor) in America and moved to the UK 1.5 decades ago. Today I raise a mixed-race family in London with my British husband, and we enjoy cultural explorations to help us make sense of our cultural identities.

In addition to teaching Tai Chi, I also run storytelling workshops, a weekly singing group/class in Camden and support two families who want their children to learn Chinese and connect with their heritage. So I’m quite excited to re-apply these experiences to set up a Chinese culture club here!