esea contemporary facts for kids

esea contemporary

Type	Art gallery
Traded as	Chinese View Arts Association, 1987–2000; Chinese Art Centre, 2000–2015; Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, 2015-2022
Industry	Arts
Founded	4 June 1987
Headquarters	13 Thomas Street, Manchester, England, M4 1EU
Revenue	£486,311
Number of employees	12

esea contemporary is an art gallery in Manchester, England. It used to be called the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art. You can find it on Thomas Street in an area called the Northern Quarter, inside a cool, old building that used to be part of the Smithfield Market Hall.

History

How it All Started (1986-1989)

The idea for this art centre began in the 1980s. At that time, many art groups focused on artists from African, Caribbean, or South Asian backgrounds. However, artists of Chinese origin were often left out.

Amy Lai, an artist and radio producer in Manchester, noticed there weren't many Chinese cultural events. She used her connections at a radio show called "Eastern Horizon" to create Chinese View ‘86. This was a two-week festival that celebrated Chinese culture. Its goal was to help the local Chinese community connect with art and education. It also aimed to explore what Chinese cultural identity meant.

In June 1987, Amy Lai, along with Peter Chui, Jenny Clegg, and David Wong, started the Chinese View Arts Association (CVAA). This group wanted to teach the public about all kinds of Chinese culture. Amy Lai then organized cultural events across Manchester and the north west of England. She worked with local artists who had Chinese heritage. These events helped the local Chinese community feel a stronger connection to their culture. They also helped more people learn about Chinese life. Amy Lai wanted these activities to be "open door" and include everyone.

The people at CVAA also worried that young people of Chinese heritage born in the UK were not learning about traditional Chinese arts and crafts. To help with this, they decided to open a Chinese cultural centre. This centre would offer cultural activities for both the local community and the wider public. It would help people appreciate Chinese life, culture, and ideas. It would also be a place to get information and advice about Chinese culture.

Opening the First Art Centre (1989-1992)

The CVAA opened the Chinese Arts Centre on October 21, 1989. It was located on the first floor of Frazer House, Charlotte Street, in Manchester's Chinatown. Diana, Princess of Wales officially opened the centre on January 17, 1990.

The centre's main goal was to bring together the local Chinese community in Manchester with other communities. The centre's education programs helped teach people about Chinese culture. It offered art workshops led by artists. The centre worked closely with local artists like Mary Tang and Cathy Wu for a long time.

The centre also held art shows and events to promote Chinese arts and culture. Before this, most "Chinese Arts" shows in Manchester were put on by British collectors. These shows were often held at places like the Manchester Art Gallery. Many of the centre's first shows featured local art. They also showed works by national and international artists.

In 1992, the centre held its first big contemporary art show called Beyond the Chinese Takeaway. This show explored the experiences of British Chinese artists who were second or third generation. The show's leaflet said it was the first of its kind to look at new works by contemporary artists of Chinese origin living in Britain. It also aimed to "challenge the stereotypes" of the Chinese community.

Changing Focus (1993-1996)

In 1993, a review found that the centre wasn't doing as well as hoped. Many people thought the organization might close. So, the centre was relaunched in October 1993. It had a new goal: to promote many different types of traditional and modern art. It would use its art and education programs to change how Chinese culture was seen in the UK. The organization also started to help new artists of Chinese heritage grow. As part of the relaunch, the centre organized many events across the city for Chinese New Year in 1994.

In 1994, the CVAA started a training program for art workers. They also planned activities for the local community. This helped them solve staff problems and build stronger ties with the community. These new ways of working were tested between September 1995 and March 1996. This was when the centre helped host the British Art Show 4. During this show, the centre displayed art by British artist Mat Collishaw. The centre's acting director, Kwong Lee, later said that the show brought more attention to the centre. It also gave the centre a temporary place at the heart of the art world.

Around this time, the CVAA learned that their funding from the North West Arts Board (NWAB) would be cut almost in half for 1996-1997. Everyone agreed that the centre could not continue as it was. The CVAA Board started looking for a new location and a new leader for the centre. In June 1996, Sarah Champion became the centre's Arts Development Coordinator. Champion later said she had six months to make the centre a success or close it down. The centre's new goals were set. Five main areas were chosen: education, helping artists, the Chinese community, promoting arts, and speaking up for the arts.

Becoming a National Art Agency (1997-2003)

Sarah Champion became the director when the centre moved to new buildings on Edge Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter in 1997. This was a time of big changes for the centre. There were more opportunities because the new government cared more about culture. Also, more people were interested in Chinese culture because of the upcoming Handover of Hong Kong.

By moving away from Chinatown, the centre focused less on the local Chinese community. Instead, it focused more on modern art. Champion also wanted the centre to become the main UK agency for Chinese arts and culture. The centre started working as an agency in 1999. The charity changed its name to Chinese Arts Centre Ltd in September 2000.

During this time, the centre mainly showed art by UK-based artists. At first, the centre showed solo exhibitions of existing works by artists like Adam Hongshan Wei. After a fire in 1998, the building was renovated. The centre then started to ask UK-based artists of East Asian heritage to create new art especially for the space. Between 2000 and 2003, the "New Commissions" program created 8 shows by new artists like Suki Chan and Gayle Chong Kwan.

As part of its agency work, the centre offered its art workshops to people across the country. It also became a key place for other businesses and art groups to learn about Chinese culture. The centre started to lead discussions about Chinese arts. It organized conferences like "A New Vocabulary for Chinese Arts?" in London in 1998.

The centre also started to connect with artists around the world. In 1997, Champion traveled to China to introduce the centre to international audiences. She also wanted to create partnerships with groups in mainland China. Because of this, the centre created Representing the People (1999). This was its first big touring exhibition to show works by artists from mainland China. This show was seen by about 250,000 people. It is seen as one of the first independent UK shows to feature art from mainland China. A second touring show, Made in China (2001-2002), followed. It showed modern design from China.

In June 2001, the centre learned it would receive £2.1 million from the Arts Council of England. This money was for buying and setting up a new building. It also helped fund the centre's operations and marketing.

Chinese Art Centre on Thomas Street (2003–2013)

The new centre on Thomas Street opened on November 28, 2003. It opened after getting a £2.2 million grant from Arts Council England. The new building was designed by OMI Architects. It won a RIBA prize for architecture in 2004. The building had a large art gallery, a teahouse, a shop, offices, a resource area, and a studio and living space for artists who lived there. The centre opened with a special artwork by New York-based artist, Xu Bing.

Sarah Champion said at the time that the organization stayed in the Northern Quarter because the centre showed art by younger British/Chinese and international Chinese artists. These artists often create very modern work. The Northern Quarter was a better fit for an "arts and cultural setting" than a "Chinatown setting."

Between 2005 and 2007, the centre worked with Live Art UK. They wanted to promote the work of performance artists from China and Chinese communities around the world. Because of this, the centre organized the China Live tour. They also held the VITAL Festivals in 2006–2007. These festivals showed live art performances, film screenings, and talks by artists.

Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (2013–2020)

In October 2013, the Chinese Arts Centre changed its name to the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA). This name change showed that the organization was looking to the future. It was responding to China's growing cultural and economic influence. During this time, the centre focused on "The Chinese Century." This was an idea that the 21st century would be led by China, not by Western countries.

In 2013, CFCCA started working with the University of Salford. They wanted to build a collection of Chinese Contemporary Art in Salford. This collection would include works by international artists. CFCCA also improved its relationships with local and national government. This led to CFCCA being the launch place for the Manchester China Forum. This event aimed to bring Chinese investment into the city.

Becoming esea contemporary (2020–)

In early 2020, some people made accusations about the centre. Several artists also pulled out of exhibitions that year. Because of this, CFCCA started a 'Revisioning' project. This project aimed to help the organization improve and make positive changes. As part of this, CFCCA chose a group of artists to help design the new organization. These artists were all of East or Southeast Asian heritage.

Later, this artist group was dismissed. They had raised concerns about unfair treatment within the organization. The centre then rebranded as esea contemporary in 2023. The new name refers to the term ESEA. It shows the centre's wider focus on art from communities around the world. They also announced new exhibitions for that year, which were the first since the centre closed in 2021.

Collections

Art Collection

Since 2013, the centre has worked with the University of Salford to build a collection of Chinese contemporary art. These artworks are kept at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery.

Archive and Library

The centre opened its library and archive to the public in 2018. This happened after a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The library has books and materials collected by the Centre about Chinese contemporary art. This includes exhibition catalogs and books about specific artists. The archive has records of the centre and its past names. It shows how the centre developed and what shows it has put on over the years.

Notable artists who exhibited at the Centre

• Cao Fei
• Carol Yinghua Lu
• Chen Man
• Chen Shaoxiong
• Chow Chun Fai
• Conroy Sanderson
• Ed Pien
• Gordon Cheung
• Lesley Sanderson
• Mad for Real
• He Chengyao
• Suki Chan
• Xu Bing