Events

Welcome Week 2026

As part of the university's Welcome Week, LCI will offer free taster sessions ahead of this semester's cultural events. All sessions will take place in the LCI space on the ground floor at 126 Mount Pleasant. The team will also have a stall at the Meet the Teams fair based in University Square on 23rd September between 10am - 1pm.

Monday 21st September 2026
Chinese Calligraphy 书法工作坊 1pm - 2pm 

Tuesday 22nd September 2026
Mandarin Taster Session 1 4pm - 5pm 

Wednesday 23rd September 2026 
Tai Chi 12pm - 1pm 
Wu Shu 3pm - 4pm 

Thursday 24th September 2026 
Mandarin Taster Session 2 4pm - 5pm 

Friday 25th September 2026 
Mid-Autumn Festival Day 12pm - 2pm 

Weekly cultural events

Join one of our FREE weekly cultural activities running across the first term during Spring and Summer term 2026. All sessions are open to all, students, staff and members of the public.

Chinese Calligraphy 书法工作坊

Mondays 1pm - 2pm 

Starting 28th September until 30th November.

This term is designed as a hands-on introduction to Chinese calligraphy. Students will learn the basics of using a Chinese brush, practice essential strokes and gradually build characters from simple lines to complete compositions. The session combines short demonstrations with plenty of practical time and a small creative outcome, allowing students to see their skills develop from week to week. By the end of the term, students will have created their own calligraphy pieces and gained a foundation for continuing their calligraphy journey.

28th September – Your First Brushstroke: 福
Introduction to Chinese calligraphy and the basics of holding and controlling a Chinese brush. Explore the character “福” (blessing) through simple seal-script brushwork and create your first piece of Chinese calligraphy.

5th October – From Lines to Characters: 横与竖
Learn the fundamental horizontal and vertical strokes of Chinese calligraphy, including basic turning movements. Practise building simple characters from these strokes and discover how individual brushstrokes come together to form a character.

12th October – The Balance of Black and White: 撇与捺
Learn the sweeping strokes of 撇 (left-falling stroke) and 捺 (right-falling stroke), and explore balance and movement within Chinese characters. Create simple meaningful characters such as “人” and “天”.

19th October – Dots, Directions & Details: 点与提
Explore the different forms of dots and the lifting stroke, learning how small changes in brush movement can transform a character. Practise characters such as “水”, “火” and “心”.

26th October – The Art of the Hook: 钩
Discover the different ways a brush can turn and finish a stroke. Learn basic hook strokes and practise combining them with previously learned techniques to create more expressive Chinese characters.

2nd November – Building Characters: 笔画与结构
Bring together the strokes learned so far and explore how Chinese characters are structured and balanced. Practise combining strokes to create increasingly complex characters and meaningful two-character compositions.

9th November – Chinese Wisdom in Calligraphy: 集字创作
Use the characters and strokes learned in previous sessions to create a short Chinese phrase. Explore meaningful expressions such as “明月”, “山水” and other traditional words and phrases through hands-on calligraphy practice.

16th November – From Characters to Artwork: 斗方与扇面
Introduction to traditional Chinese calligraphy formats, including the square doufang and fan-shaped shan mian. Choose characters or a short phrase and explore how size, spacing and composition transform individual characters into a complete artwork.

23rd November – My Chinese Calligraphy
Bring together the techniques learned throughout the term to create a personal piece of Chinese calligraphy. Choose from a selection of meaningful Chinese words and phrases and develop your own composition with guidance from the teacher.

30th November – A Chinese Calligraphy Gathering 雅集
Celebrate the end of the workshop with a traditional-style calligraphy gathering. Bring your favourite pieces from the term to share and appreciate with others, accompanied by tea, traditional music and an informal introduction to the culture of Chinese calligraphy.

Chinese pop dance 中国流行舞

Mondays 3pm - 4pm 

Restarting 28th September 2026 for 10 weeks until 30th November 2026.

Chinese Pop Dance blends contemporary movement with traditional Chinese aesthetics. This 10-week course introduces students to the elegance of classical Chinese dance. The first seven weeks focus on a curated Fan Dance routine, with fans provided by the instructor during class. The final three weeks will explore diverse Chinese-style dance excerpts, showcasing a variety of dynamic choreographic styles.

Each session begins with a gentle warm-up, followed by the learning of choreographed routines featuring signature styles such as Classical Dance and Fan Dance.

28th September - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 1）

5th October - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 2）

12th October - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 3）

19th October - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 4）

26th October - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 5）

2nd November - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 6）

9th November - Ode to Spring(咏春) – Chinese Fan Dance（part 7）

16th November - Classical Dance – Myth(神话)

23rd November - Classical Dance – Ode to Spring in Luoyang(洛春赋)

30th November - Classical Dance – Hu Master(伯虎说)

Traditional Chinese painting 国画主题

Thursdays 3pm - 4pm 

Restarting 23rd April 2026 - 4th June 2026.

Create your own works of Chinese art while also learning traditional techniques.

23rd April – Chinese Landscape Painting (国画山水)
Introduction to the fundamentals of Chinese landscape painting, including brush handling, ink control, and the basic structure of rocks and mountains. Students will learn essential texture strokes (cunfa) to build form and depth.

30th April – Chinese Landscape Painting (国画山水)
Focus on developing mountain forms and refining texture strokes. Students will explore different methods of representing natural surfaces and begin constructing simple landscape compositions.

7th May – Chinese Landscape Painting (国画山水)
Introduction to tree painting techniques, including various brush methods for trunks, branches, and foliage. Emphasis on integrating trees naturally within the landscape.

14th May – Chinese Landscape Painting (国画山水)
Exploration of water elements, clouds, and atmospheric effects. Students will learn how to create a sense of space and movement within their compositions.

21st May – Chinese Landscape Painting (国画山水)
Focus on compositional structure, learning how to balance mountains, trees, and water. Students will begin planning a more complete and cohesive landscape scene.

28th May – Chinese Landscape Painting (国画山水)
Development of a full landscape composition, with attention to layering, depth, and harmony. Students will refine their brushwork and strengthen their individual style.

4th June – Chinese Landscape Painting (Final Composition) 国画山水（完整作品）
Final session dedicated to completing a full landscape painting, focusing on composition, tonal balance, detailed refinement, and personal artistic expression.