Song of the Female Textile Workers

Song of the Female Textile Workers is a filmed mixed reality performance, jointly produced by Shanghai Yue Opera House, Shanghai Textile Museum, Leeds Industrial Museum, HUMAN VR and stage@leeds. This 40min performance takes you through one hundred years of China’s socio-economic transformation, through love, passion and the experiences of three generation Chinese women set against an individual historical background. From the pre-1949 rise of textile industry and Yueju emerging as China’s first female working class’ art form; Mao Zedong’s era and Yueju’s nationwide expansion; to the new millennium textile industry transformed to art clusters and Yueju evolution into China’s second largest and most popular opera whilst remaining the cultural symbol of China’s female working class.

The performance is led by Wang Rousang, a national star performer at Shanghai Yue Opera House (上海越剧院国家一级演员王柔桑).

‘A fascinating new partnership project between Leeds and Shanghai is weaving together the histories of female textile workers through the power of Chinese opera!’ (Leeds Council News)

There will be a live and online post-show discussion between our audiences at stage@leeds and the Shanghai Textile Museum.