After COVID, Israeli culture returns to center stage in Shanghai

Israeli artists are returning in style to Shanghai, the cultural hub of China, after a hiatus of more than three years following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Hosted by some of the city's leading institutions and supported by the Consulate-General of Israel in the city, prominent Israeli theaters, groups and artists are set to perform in front of sell-out audiences throughout the remainder of the year – many within the framework of the 22nd Shanghai International Arts Festival - which will take place between October and November.

"While Israeli performers and Chinese audiences were kept apart for several years, it is clear that the local demand for Israeli culture did not diminish at all during that time," said Ravit Baer, Consul-General of Israel in Shanghai. "We look forward to the return of Israeli culture to some of Shanghai's largest and most important venues, rebuilding artistic bridges that connect our two nations."

Shanghai's impressive Culture Square Theater will host an "Israel Theater Showcase" in the coming months, hosting “The Superfluous Man” by Mitcha Figa in early July, followed by “The Dybbuk” by Gesher Theater and “Hamlet” by Beit Lessin Theater.

Contemporary Israeli dance is also making a much-anticipated comeback, led by “Living Room” by dancer-choreographer Inbal Pinto and “When Love Walked” In by the Yossi Berg and Oded Graf Dance Theater.

Recent weeks saw a large Israeli presence at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival, with four Israeli films shown on the big screen at the prestigious event. Itzik Lerner's “Moses' Spies” was nominated for a Golden Goblet, while Livi Kessel – director of “The Other City” – was hosted by the China-Israel Innovation Center in Shanghai for an intimate discussion about the vibrant art scene in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

Additional performances, scheduled for later this year in Shanghai and surrounding provinces, will be announced in the coming weeks and months.