Chatswood Live at Night - Shadow play wonderland

Next date: Saturday, 03 May 2025 | 06:30 PM to 09:30 PM

Chatswood Live at Night is your ultimate weekly live entertainment experience, featuring themed nights filled with vibrancy and unforgettable performance. Join us every Saturday evening for an immersive live entertainment and performance showcase!

Immerse the Shadow play wonderland with Yixiang He

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The provided illustration mock-up may differ from the final version on the day

Shadow Play Wonderland: A Journey into the Future

As night falls, the ancient art of shadow puppetry comes to life in the hands of children and families. More than just a traditional craft, this immersive workshop is a gateway to imagination and the future. Once a theatrical art that entertained emperors, shadow puppetry has evolved into a global cultural treasure, using light as a brush and shadow as ink to tell timeless stories.

Step into the enchanting world of Chinese shadow puppetry, where light, shadow, and storytelling merge into a dynamic, hands-on experience. This workshop introduces families to the rich heritage of this ancient art, blending cultural storytelling, puppet-making, and live performance. Open to both registered participants and passersby, the workshop welcomes everyone to join in the fun. Guided by experienced instructors, children and parents will design, craft, and perform their own shadow puppets, inspired by mythology, science fiction, and fantasy. Using provided materials, they can create floating cities, AI-powered forests, or deep-sea creatures from alien worlds, reimagining shadow puppetry in a futuristic and creative way. Their creations will come to life on stage, revealing a futuristic world—mechanical birds soaring over ruins, mysterious sea creatures gliding through submerged cities, and tales of the unknown unfolding in real time. This is a collaborative, evolving performance, where each child’s puppet contributes to a unique storytelling experience.

Yixiang He is the Founder ande Director of Soulrise Education, dedicated to fostering creativity through art and design. With a Bachelor’s degree from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and a Master’s degree from UNSW Art & Design, Yixiang has been teaching at universities and private art institutions since 2016. A former lecturer at both Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and UNSW Art & Design, Yixiang has also hosted numerous indoor and outdoor art workshops, inspiring learners through immersive artistic experiences.

Shadow puppetry bridges past and future, turning every child into a storyteller and dreamer. Join us for a night of creativity, tradition, and innovation, where families craft, play, and bring their own stories to life through light and shadow!

If you’re a passionate performer eager to showcase your talent and creativity at our dynamic venue, we’d love to hear from you. Express your interest by emailing us at events@willoughby.nsw.gov.au