Asia-Europe Cultural Festival: Cultures Connect goes online

The 2022 edition of the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival, Cultures Connect, goes online from 16 to 22 December 2022.

This showcasing presents two special events – the solo dance performance, ‘Am I Bruce Lee’ by Junyi Sun/Kernel Dance Theatre (Spain) and the panel discussion, ‘What Future for Arts Festivals?’ with leading arts practitioners from Asia & Europe.

Am I Bruce Lee (香蕉人 / Banana person: yellow outside, white inside.)

About the performance:

A prejudice carried by people of Chinese origin who are not from where they appear to be is one of the concepts that connect Junyi Sun and Bruce Lee in this research on the identity of our protagonist.

Junyi analyses the points of connection and parallelisms he has with the famous artist, from their origin, personal growth, and professional careers to ideals and desires, bringing them to life in this intimate show, halfway between dance and martial arts.

Through this tragicomic performance, Junyi addresses the subconscious bias of stereotypes and clichés rooted and attempts to make the public reflect on such issues.

About the artist:

Junyi Sun started training in martial arts and participated in several film, television and theatre projects. As a dancer, he has worked with several companies and artists such as Cesc Gelabert, Toni Mira, SenZaTemPo, Vero Cendoya, Roberto G. Alonso, la Compagnie du Sarment, Jérôme Bel, among others. He has also collaborated with Roser López Espinosa, Sharon Fridman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Lataimada company and Bejart Ballet Laussane. Based in Barcelona, Junyi co-directs the company, KERNEL DANCE THEATRE, with Alma Steiner and Marina Miguel. The company attempts to develop its own language integrating contemporary dance, martial arts and theatre and aims to make the viewer reflect and discover new points of view on contemporaneity.

This performance was available for free viewing from 16 to 22 December 2022.

Public Forum: What Future for Arts Festivals?

This discussion, presented in the frame of the Asia-Europe Festival in Brussels in November 2022, features speakers from Asia & Europe - including festival directors, artists, producers, cultural practitioners – debating on the status of arts festivals given the impact of the pandemic, relevance of emerging new trends such as slow mobility, need for deeper cultural exchange.

Catch this lively exchange of views, opinions and aspirations with speakers, Natalie HENNEDIGE, Director
Singapore International Festival of the Arts (Singapore), Ratri ANINDYAJATI, Director, Indonesian Dance Festival (Indonesia), Roberto CASAROTTO, Co-Director, Aerowaves (Italy) and Stéphane NOËL, Independent Producer (Switzerland) and moderator, Siddarth CHADHA, Lecturer, Uppsala University (Sweden/India).