British Council A Guide to Arts and Culture Opportunities in China

This Guide is a practical resource for UK artists and cultural organisations interested in engaging with Mainland China. It explains the opportunities and challenges of working in one of the world’s most dynamic cultural sectors, offering evidence, examples and advice drawn from lived experience.

China’s cultural industries are growing fast, shaped by powerful national policies, rapid digital innovation, and rising cultural confidence. For UK stakeholders, this presents both opportunities and complexities. Building sustainable collaboration requires market insights, cultural sensitivity and trust developed over time.

The report offers sector insights on five key sectors – performing arts, visual arts and heritage, film, music and literature – through sector development timelines, market data, trends and case studies. It also profiles cultural policies and highlights opportunities nationally as well as across major Chinese cities and regions. Insights are drawn from first-hand experiences of UK and Chinese practitioners.

Key findings include:

• Opportunities across sectors: Strong demand for collaboration in digital storytelling, heritage digitisation, creative technologies, and co-production models.
• Regional diversity: Cities beyond Beijing and Shanghai, such as Chengdu, Xi’an and Hangzhou, are developing distinct cultural brands and creative industries.
• Policy alignment: National priorities in digitisation, IP protection, rural revitalisation and heritage parks are shaping new spaces for international partnerships.
• Digital-first culture: Platforms like WeChat, Douyin and RedNote (Xiaohongshu) shape how culture is produced, marketed and consumed in China.
• Trust before scale: Lasting partnerships often begin with small exchanges -visits, workshops or residencies – before growing into major tours or productions.

The Guide is for cultural organisations of all sizes, from freelancers and SMEs to large institutions across all four nations of the UK. Whether you are exploring China for the first time or seeking to expand existing links, this resource offers context, tools and examples to help you take your next steps with confidence.