Building Canopy Beijing

In December 2024, Producer Toni Lewis & Associate Director Toni-Dee travelled to Beijing for research towards Canopy, a multi strand global adoption project with 3 central ambitions:

  1. Reducing Stigma 
  2. Collective Catharsis 
  3. Legislative Reform

One of Canopy’s artistic outcomes is the ‘Canopy Installation’; a neighbourhood of nationally representative tiny homes telling the story of adoption around the globe. Each tiny home is conceived and brought to life by adult adoptees. The space, material and immaterial is co-created together, the inner and outer spaces animated by and for the purpose of uncovering and sharing the stories of adoption from that place. This research trip looked at design, architecture, family and disability. 

This travel diary is written by Toni L

 

23rd December: Day 1 in the BIG Beijing House, Everyone needs a Momo! 

We enter Beijing to art

From the airport to the trees to the skyscrapers, the city is filled with public art; installations, intelligent lighting design and digital projections are everywhere. We’d opted to stay in Dongcheng, a working class area of Beijing the size of our beloved Birmingham. Our modern aparthotel with its swanky bars and cafés was juxtaposed by sprawling Hutongs (a type of social housing dating back to the Ming dynasty). Hutongs, characterised by their single level, densely packed grey exteriors and tight, winding labyrinth-esque alleyways were once home to multi-generational families. Unable to be purchased or sold (unless you have a cool 8million RMB lying around) many of these homes were passed down through the generations, however in modern China have fallen out of favour and into disrepair. Many have been turned into tourist attractions, small businesses, shops and even Airbnbs. The Hutongs remaining as houses are predominantly occupied by an older generation, they are bustling close knit communities, a characteristic of social housing across the globe, for good or for ill.

We walked the neighbourhood, noting the abundance of publicly accessible toilets and seating areas not defiled by hostile architecture (take note UK). We were stopped by a smiling elder who, confused by our presence in a ‘poor area’, during the winter no less, proceeded to give us the lowdown on all the great food spots. We spoke about the history of the area, fresh produce and the importance of the local, accessible ‘agricultural market.’ After saying our warmest goodbyes and purchasing armfuls of unknown snacks we returned to see the hotel’s robot making the rounds cleaning the building, moving up and down in lifts and eventually putting itself on-charge in the foyer. Our first example of China living in the year 3000. 

Set of three images, the first is a photo of two hustings separated by a footpath, the middle is of one of many inclusive signage for publicly accessible toilets, and the third is of the staircase at the entrance of the Temple of Heaven

In the afternoon we met our host Momo of Body ON & ON  Cultural Centre at the gates to UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Temple of Heaven (est. 1420). Body ON is the first inclusive cultural centre in China and for the last 5 years, alongside British Council China, has hosted Disability Arts Forum. They are producers, programmers and pioneers in Chinese Contemporary arts, facilitating international collaboration and bringing world class dance and body based practice to China. We were thrilled to connect with them. 

Walking among ancient trees dating back to the Xing dynasty, we began talking about the historical context of Beijing; the emperors, the former capital of Nanjing, the topography, revolution, ethnic diversity, the things culturally appropriate to say and do (and not) – never upend your chopsticks unless you want the dead to come and eat your food! 

We learned about the deeply symbolic design and architectural practices in Imperial China, how status, gender and purpose could be communicated by the shape or slope of a rooftop, by the colour of the tile or number of small animals adorning the rafters. We learned about the origins and journey of materials, the expert joinery that has allowed these buildings to withstand high magnitude earthquakes, about brick making and ceramic glazing. We made our way across the Long Corridor, towards the Divine Kitchen and Temple of Fasting, pathways once trod by emperors, generals, queens and consorts, thinking about prayers for bumper harvests and rain. 

Three photographs, the first is of a rooftop with deeply symbolic designs; the second is of the incense-filled courtyard at Lama Temple; the third is of an artificial thigh-bone trumpet at Lama Temple.

After a brief stop for Tanghulu and hot pot we made our way to the Lama Temple for a blessing of good fortune. The holy site of former Dalai Lamas is awe inspiring. We stood in courtyards hazy with incense gazing upon ancient works of art – the impossibly giant Buddhas, the vast columns made from single trees, the impossibly intricate embroidery of the Green Tara…We learned about human sacrifice,  limbs repurposed as artefacts and objects of worship… talk about blowing your own trumpet… 😉

24th December: Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. Checkpoint Charlie. 

Our exploration of the possibilities of architecture continued on Day 2.

There is A LOT of security to pass before gaining access to the Forbidden City, now known as The Palace Museum. Roads are closed around the perimeter and while the metro is best for getting close up, we are disabled and jet lagged so we take a Didi (Uber). Gaining access is slow going, no less than 5 gates until we reach the heart of the site – The Emperor’s Office! To get there we pass The National Art Museum of China, Chairman Mao’s building,  Tiananmen Tower and of course the historic site of the 1989 student and workers union protests – Tiananmen Square. As we hand over our tickets and passports for the final inspection Momo tells us of the last Emperor of China, Puyi. After the revolution, much of the contents of the palace were sold off and poor Puyi had to buy a ticket to visit his former home. I read a story later that says that on Puyi’s last visit to the palace he pointed out a picture on the wall of a former emperor that was labelled wrong. The guide who didn’t recognise Puyi insisted ‘No way, we’ve checked over and over with historians, that was certainly Emperor Guangxu!’ Puyi said, ‘Well, that’s not Emperor Guangxu, that’s Prince Chun on the wall. You know, I can still recognise my Dad (Prince Chun).’… but how much can you trust Reddit…  

There is much to tell of the Forbidden City, of greatness, of tragedy, of gender and of art and innovation. The sheer scale is hard to comprehend but you are most struck that despite the daunting size, every advantage has been taken of ‘the natural world’ around it. It feels harmonious and peaceful even with hordes of eager tourists.  

The thespian in me most appreciated the splendour of the Emperor’s mother’s personal opera house. Situated in-the-round, it was fitted with trapdoor ceilings/floors that allowed performers on winches to move vertically, seamlessly.  There are whole buildings and chairs dedicated to first marital acts, (yes, chairs) a wing of Western style architecture and terrace upon terrace to take in the 360° vestige of Beijing. The contrast of ancient and modern architecture is most poignant here; the curved monochrome of the tallest skyscraper in Beijing dominates in one direction, Jingshan Park in another. At the highest point in Beijing in Jingshan Park you can see the entirety of the Forbidden City. Once a garden for Emperors, it now houses temples, boating lakes and museums and at its peak sits ‘Prospect Hill.’

Three images - the first is of the map of the Palace Museum, the second is of the Opera House, the third is a view from Prospect Hill, Jingshan Park

Momo also shows us a replica of the Forbidden City within the Forbidden City;  an emperor upon retirement, and not wanting to leave the city, recreated beam for beam, a smaller scale version to live out his days, the Russian Doll of architecture.  

At the end of our day we entered a courtyard and came across a canopy (of ancient trees) which made us feel an intimate sense of homecoming. Standing under the canopy we gazed up through dappled light and took a moment. The colours, patterns and beauty of the Palace Museum is revered and replicated across restaurants and shops city-wide. We document large decorative gates/entryways, courtyards and note symmetry/squares (the Forbidden City is built on the Meridian line) – all important architectural features of ancient Chinese design.  

26th December:  Body ON & ON and Happy, Happy Cloud. 

There’s something about the softness that [inclusive] space brings in quite a busy city. It was warm…. It holds an artistic and practical endeavour, its an archive and exhibition space as well as an office. People, us included, feel at home here’ 

Today we met with Dew Ge (founder) and Wynona (Project Manager) of Body ON & ON Cultural Centre. We learned about Dew’s background in arts journalism and her love of Dance; ‘amazed’ at a performance by Heidi Latsky in Germany in 2016, she wanted to start a project ‘led by the heart’ and so came ‘Body ON’. We spoke about the parallels in arts ecologies between the UK/Europe and China and where those markets deviate. We spoke about funding, fame and philanthropy – a world without an Arts Council and where the majority of government funded art goes into opera, dance ensembles and large scale performance troupes meaning passion projects or ‘art for good’ vs entertainment often require investment of your own capital. On that note, she told us about the Deaf and Mute Children’s Choir started with personal investment from renowned artist Li Bo, a project built slowly, organically and rigorously. 

We headed over to meet Liyun Chen, Manager of Inclusive Space, a vital community resource in the Chaoyang district. Formed in 2017 as a social work office, Inclusive Space has evolved into a certified arts NGO providing an accessible and inclusive space supporting many, many gorgeous projects; from disabled women’s summer groups, to collaborations with Oxfam for Blind Hikers, and even crafting a braille library. In recent years their Pleasure Troupe; a close knit and 25+ strong group of disabled and able bodied players have used contemporary theatre to shine a light on the experiences of a wide range of disabilities, chronic illnesses and neurodivergence via touring performances to the Beijing Fringe, Hong Kong and for the United Nations. Here we met Huanhuan (meaning Happy Cloud) a disabled performer, adoptee and member of the troupe… and a hardcore Charlie Puth stan. 

Q: What would you ask the foster families and adopters? 

A:’Why do you want a family?’ 

As is customary, we  (Two-Toni’s, Yun Huanhuan, Dew, Winona, Liyun and Momo) headed out together to share an amazing Mongolian inspired feast before heading back to Inclusive Space to interview both Yun Huanhuan and his friend ‘M’ about their experiences of growing up in an orphanage. We spoke about navigating childhood, care systems and disability, about care and love in a utopia. We learned about adoption files/records and access, the perception of adoption vs reality, the selection process for adopters and the money. Always, the money. We left with hearts full, new friends and a Charlie Puth inspired rendition of We Wish You A Merry Christmas…  

Group photo taken at Inclusive Space

‘It’s cold in Beijing, but that venue was warm’ 

27th December:  Butterfly Hospice and 798 Gallery

Somewhere in your town, there’s an industrial manufacturer making pipes, custard or textiles. The building will one day be abandoned and reclaimed by artists. The artists will make this area super chic, then the artists will be overrun and priced out by commercial companies that mean the artists are forced to move on …and find other custard factories. 

Artwork at 798

798 District is somewhere in the middle; a colossal site with everything from vertical parking garages, converted train carriage-cum-art spaces, studios, galleries, and shops to ‘bad markets’, bookstores and clothing stores; Restaurants cooking with roof-space grown produce and VR experiences transporting you to Tibet or alternate dimensions… It. Is. Amazing. As I wander I imagine Canopy the installation and all who will flock to her..here?

We enter UCCA (Centre for Contemporary Art) to see 2 exhibitions: 1 is Luc Tuymans ‘The Past’, exploring ‘the unsteady power that images wield to shape the present and give form to the past’ and second is on the career of Mo Yi, whose images capture a Beijing in motion over a period of 20+ years. Mo Yi sees his photography as a ‘language of artistic expression’, much the way of a painter or writer and the exhibition features previously undocumented or unfinished projects. We see images of every-day life, the world outside of a moving bus, and his collection ‘I am a street dog’ capturing images in a game-like way, showcasing the vulnerability of helpless and small beings in our urban landscapes. 

We visit Space Station Gallery, a mid-size gallery able to beautiful showcase the work of individual artists (a lost commodity!) before our virtual tour and meeting with Naomi Taylor, the CEO of Butterfly Hospice (WeChat Channel) in Changsha, Hunan province. Butterfly Hospice was founded in 2006 by Lynda Gould, a British Pediatric nurse of 25+ years, and provides palliative care for abandoned children. We met staff, toured facilities and had the deep joy of saying hello to some children living at the orphanage. We spoke at length with Naomi who told us about the introduction of paediatric end of life care in China. At the time of founding ‘there was no translation of ‘palliative’ care’,  they worked within orphanages to provide holistic care for children with severe disabilities and terminal diagnosis- often the main cause of abandonment in China during and post the one child policy period. Naomi told us about the difficulty for many biological parents given that this type of support was not historically available to children within birth families. Sitting under a social care system means organisations like Butterfly Hospice, despite providing training and shared praxis globally with UK/AUS/USA and beyond around pediatric palliative care, can only offer this kind of support to orphaned children- in many cases meaning the numbers of orphaned children were inflated by the difficult decision to choose care for their child over them staying within the family unit. 

The next step on their journey is to open a family centre independent of the orphanages, meaning hospice treatment can be accessed by both orphaned children and families, offering vitally needed support. We spoke about the recent policy changes ending foreign adoption, a driving factor being China’s declining birth rate and ageing population, recounting the benefits of foreign adoption for some children who with care and treatment were able to live full, happy and healthy lives.  But there are also changes happening within China –  that perhaps the positive, progressive changes to medical and care systems, means less children will be orphaned and we will see organisations like Butterfly Hospice expanding across the country, as the ageing population has forced an expansion of Palliative care which has benefited end of life care for children too. We hope to visit Butterfly Hospice on our next visit to China and to think about ways Canopy as an art project can support the rights of those children through solidarity and community. 

31st December: Goodbye, Goodbye, Good Friends Good Bye…

Momo on the Great Wall of China

We haven’t even scratched the surface of Beijing! With a population of around 19.4million, spanning an area 10x the size of London, it’s inevitable that we would have felt we saw so much yet so little in our 10 days here. We rounded out the week packing in more galleries, more awe inspiring public infrastructure (Beijing’s Ginko Tree Inspired Library), more Peking Duck, more observations and a lot of dancing after dinner, as is tradition for Chinese women!

We have planted the seeds of deep relationships here that will bear rich fruit, we have cultural partners committed to socially engaged practice with disability at the forefront, translators, hosts and friends, technology and platforms that will allow those relationships to blossom even at distance. We have a basic grasp of cultural customs and ways of navigating the city. We have visited civic and arts spaces capable of hosting not only disabled audiences but rooting the eventual installation of canopy. We have come away with heads and hearts full.  

We understand that there are barriers to International Collaborations between East & West; we are still under no illusion about the energy and resource Canopy Beijing will require, not least while ensuring access is as always at the root of what we do,  but we come home with a deep respect, wealth of knowledge and sense of vindication too, that what we already intrinsically know as disabled folks and what is true in any context: slow working is still work that works; it’s necessary but can also foster an organic intimacy which cannot be faked or fabricated. It is in this truth and solidarity we find the deep connections, shared values and passion that drives all our best relationships. And as you know: ‘the longer the string, the higher the kite will fly’ (Chinese proverb). 

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