Nottingham Confucius Institute to partner on ground-breaking Dinosaurs of China exhibition

The University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council are delighted to welcome the Nottingham Confucius Institute as a partner on the world-exclusive Dinosaurs of China exhibition, which opens in Nottingham on July 1, to help deliver a legacy of the exhibition for Nottingham’s families and children.

Along with a donation for the Heritage Lottery Fund and funds raised through Nottingham Lakeside Arts’ crowd-funding campaign, The Nottingham Confucius Institute’s contribution will enable The University of Nottingham’s Lakeside Arts to: commission a unique animatronic puppet feathered dinosaur (a baby Alxasaurus) that will have a permanent home at the Nottingham Lakeside Arts and will be used to teach children about dinosaurs both during and after the exhibition; create a permanent ‘Dino-Dig’ in Highfields Park, with dinosaur bones buried near the existing play park that children will be able to excavate and experience what it’s like to be on an archaeological dig and feel the excitement when they discover dinosaur bones for the first time; and help children create their own dinosaurs on iPads, projecting them onto the wall at Lakeside as part of the exhibition.

Dinosaurs of China is a collaboration between Nottingham City Council and The University of Nottingham, who have worked closely with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing and the Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology Inner Mongolia. The Nottingham Confucius Institute’s involvement in the project further enhances the cross cultural collaboration, fuelled by the University’s strong connections in China, which have proven vital to bringing such a prestigious world-class exhibition to Nottingham.

Jason Feehily, Director of Knowledge Exchange Asia at The University of Nottingham, commentsI am very pleased that the Nottingham Confucius Institute has joined the Dinosaurs of China as a partner. The partnership with a Model Confucius Institute demonstrates the powerful connections between Nottingham and China and to be working together on this world exclusive exhibition is hugely exciting”.

Dr Jian Chen, Acting and Executive NCI Director, saidWe are delighted to be part of this exciting endeavour, which not only enables people in the UK to see some of the world’s best-preserved dinosaur discoveries from China, but also creates a great opportunity to inspire young minds and generate interest in science. This is another excellent example of how NCI engages with the local community and helps build friendship between the UK and China”.

Taking place from 1st July to 29th October 2017, the exhibition will span two sites – Wollaton Hall in Nottingham and University of Nottingham’s public art centre, Lakeside Arts. Tickets for Wollaton Hall are now on sale. Prices are £7.70 for an adult and £5.50 for a child. There is a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) for £22.00. Children under five go free and the event welcomes school parties at a reduced price. Entry to Lakeside is free of charge.

For more information about the exhibition, please visit www.dinosaursofchina.co.uk