Using a blend of Chinese and western instruments, Tangram artists are developing a hybrid methodology of research, storytelling, and music-making to inquire about the complexities of diasporic identity.
Their projects delve into the richness and multiplicity of Chinese experience, encouraging audiences to engage in nuanced cultural exchange and deep listening across perceived borders. Through emotional and embodied languages, they transcend the pervasive assumption that Chinese and Western cultures are mutually exclusive to imagine more interconnected futures. Tangram have worked with organisations including the London Symphony Orchestra, Silkroad, Chinese Arts Now, Arts Council England, Help Musicians UK, Snape Maltings, nonclassical, Sound and Music, and SOAS University of London.
In 2021, the collective of 11 musicians will use the Live Work Fund to evolve their YouTube channel into a live platform for collaborative performance, community-building, and knowledge-sharing around the theme of transnational imagination.