YEAR OF THE RAT BRINGS SPECTACULAR CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL TO CAPITAL
Leading estate agency Hunters Residential sponsors Edinburgh Chinese School’s celebrations
Children from the Edinburgh Chinese School will today (7 February 2008) welcome the Year of the Rat in spectacular style, as they take part in the school’s Chinese New Year Festival, at the capital’s Festival Theatre.
The event, sponsored by Hunters Residential, estate agency arm of leading Edinburgh law firm Gillespie Macandrew, will see the Festival Theatre transformed as children from the school enjoy demonstrations and performances from local artists promoting Chinese education and culture in the city.
The celebrations, which start at 12.30pm, will involve demonstrations of Chinese Knots, Chinese Painting and Chinese Calligraphy, with the audience encouraged to take part and try out new skills. Accompanying the workshops, local artists will be performing in a variety show from 2.00pm – 4.00pm where, among others, a professional group of Mongolian artists from London will perform magnificent acrobatic acts.
2008 marks the Year of the Rat, which starts the new cycle of the 12 animals in the Lunar Calendar; signifying new beginnings and good fortune.
Gillespie Macandrew, which offers insurance, business and residential legal advice to the burgeoning Chinese community across Edinburgh and the east of Scotland, stepped in to become the School’s major sponsor of the Chinese New Year Festival for 2008.
Peter Ng, Chinese Language Services Manager at Gillespie Macandrew, said: “It is vitally important that local people and businesses support these events to help encourage greater awareness of different cultures. Gillespie Macandrew offers an unrivalled offering to the Chinese community in Edinburgh, and beyond, and is proud to be supporting this fabulous event which marks the Chinese New Year Festival in 2008.”
Tickets cost £5 each and are available to pre-book, or buy on the day, from the Edinburgh Festival Theatre box office – 0131 529 6000 / www.eft.co.uk