Cultural Minister endorses Scottish pupils’ creative insight into China
Creative interpretations of Beijing, as the city behind the 2008 Olympic Games, will see youngsters from around Scotland – from Inverness, Aberdeen and Dundee to Glasgow, Fife and the Lothians – being honoured at a special Scottish Primary Schools Competition awards ceremony at The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, on Saturday, 14 June.
Part of the year-long China Now in Scotland (CNIS) festival – the largest-ever celebrating the links between the two nations – this year’s competition, organised by the Scotland-China Association and the Tom Murray Memorial Trust, was designed to stimulate interest and understanding among Scottish pupils of modern China and its capital city.
Run in co-operation with The Burrell Collection, Glasgow Museums, and with the support of One Scotland Many Cultures, this year’s competition attracted a high-profile judging panel – chaired by Stephen Craig, Trustee of the Tom Murray Memorial Trust and including Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, Linda Fabiani, MSP – who scrutinised all the individual and group entries, presented anonymously, to select the top submissions.
Linda Fabiani said: “This stimulating competition was designed to encourage pupils to learn more about Beijing and its people, culture, art, music, building and environment. But most of all, its aim was to create a fun learning experience which not only captures the imagination of our pupils but serves to forge closer links between Scotland and China. The Scottish Government places a real value on our growing partnership with China and I’m delighted that Scotland’s schoolchildren are actively engaging and gaining a better understanding of our links with modern China and its capital Beijing.”
More than 300 submissions, ranging from Beijing opera masks, posters and lanterns to informative DVDs, were received from 33 schools, with the top award - the Tom Murray Memorial Prize – going to Rowantree Primary School in Dundee for its submission of individual masks, nine-dragon screen and DVD. As well as the top prize, further awards and commendations are being presented in three different primary age-group class categories, including school, individual and group awards. All the winning entries are being showcased at The Burrell Collection in Glasgow, from 4-17 June.
Frances Christensen, project manager of CNIS, said: “This competition has been the catalyst for schoolchildren around Scotland to learn more about the culture of this fascinating city. We hope the interest and enthusiasm generated will be sustained going forward. More than 100 events have been organised for China Now In Scotland, with the aim of enthusing, informing and inspiring people in Scotland about China. Engaging and involving our schools and youngsters within the festival is a priority for us.”
Emma May, Curator (The Burrell Collection), Chinese and Oriental Civilisations, and a member of the judging panel, said: “The judges were very pleased to see so many exciting, colourful and vibrant entries in all shapes and sizes. They were highly impressed by the clear evidence of the obvious enthusiasm for the topic across all three age groups. They could see that a great deal of work and effort had been put in both by the youngsters themselves and by the teaching staff in achieving a very high standard of entries, both at individual and group levels.”
The awards will be made by Eddie McGuire, the well-known Scottish composer and member of the Whistlebinkies. The ceremony will also be attended by Mme Tan, China’s Consul General in Scotland and MSP Linda Fabiani.
Fiona Donaldson, co-ordinator of the competition and a trustee of the Tom Murray Memorial Trust, added: “The trustees and the judges would like to extend a vote of thanks to all the pupils, staff, schools and communities from across Scotland who participated in the competition. It was a real pleasure to see all the excellent submissions.”
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