The first, entitled ‘A Wealth of Treasures and Stories’ was held on Tuesday 29 May at the British Museum’s Stevenson Theatre. 150 professionals from the British media and arts world attended the event.
The seminar, hosted by writer, broadcaster and former UK Minister of Culture, Gyles Brandreth, celebrated the immense popular success of the reality show ‘The Nation’s Greatest Treasures’, a ten-part series that uses a complex variety-show format to look at treasures in nine Chinese museums. The show was developed on one of the University of Westminster’s China Media Centre’s ‘TV Innovation and Development’ courses. ‘The Nation’s Greatest Treasures’ has since been transmitted in China to enormous success, with 1.7bn hits online increasing museum attendances by 50 per cent.
On Thursday 31 May, Professor Hugo de Burgh also chaired a panel discussion, in Fyvie Hall at the Regent Street Campus, which looked closely at how to deliver successful collaborations between UK and Chinese production teams.
The panel guests included Yu Lei, Executive Producer of ‘The Nation’s Greatest Treasures’ (CCTV), Richard Dale, Film Producer ‘Earth: One Amazing Day’ (BBC/SMG), Anne Cornell, International Producer ‘The Bachelor’ (Warner Bros) and more.
The China Media Centre is the European specialist on the world’s largest media system, it organises professional exchanges and briefings at which visiting practitioners and students attend three to twelve-week courses to develop television and media concepts.
Since 2011, the China Media Centre has become the model for professional development in the international screen media industry. Every year, participants return home to China with treatments that have been developed into successful programmes. The most famous are transmissions by CCTV including Mission AI, Amazing Legends and The Nation’s Greatest Treasures; and by Shanghai Media Group with King of Comedy, Top Dog and Junior Edison.
Learn more about the China Media Centre at the University of Westminster.
