An inclusive adaptation of Journey to the West
Blue Apple Theatre’s artistic director Richard Conlon is currently in Beijing, working with Intellectual Heart Theatre Company on a bold new adaptation of the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West — known to many UK audiences through the cult TV series Monkey. Over ten days, Richard will collaborate with Chinese director Chen Ran and eight young adult performers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to co-create a new inclusive theatre piece. This will be performed in an architecturally iconic contemporary exhibition space over two days.
This international rehearsal residency is part of the Luminous Festival — China’s first non-profit inclusive arts festival — and is supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grant. The performers, including individuals with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and Down syndrome, are using theatre as a powerful tool for self-expression and cultural exchange.
The choice of Journey to the West was guided by community research conducted by Rongai Rongle Family Support Centre, where it emerged as the most beloved Chinese story, and by Richard Conlon’s appreciation of Chinese culture.
This collaboration of Blue Apple Theatre in the UK and Beijing’s Body On&On Cultural Exchange Centre will create China's first inclusive performing arts project for individuals with learning disabilities. Through workshops and performances, the initiative empowers young people with intellectual disabilities in Beijing while deepening UK-China knowledge exchange in accessible theatre.
Dom Hastings, the British Council China’s Head of Arts, emphasised the project’s importance. “I’m really pleased that the British Council is able to support this project through our long-running Connections Through Culture grant programme. We know that supporting artistic exchange between the UK and China has many benefits and the partnerships we have supported in the past have led to new co-productions, collaborative projects, and many examples of shared learning and professional development – strengthening cultural relations between the UK and China. I look forward to seeing how the project develops.” he explained.
📅 Performance dates:
Friday 26 September 2025, 19:30
Saturday 27 September 2025, 19:30
📍 Venue: 798CUBE, Beijing
📸 The photo below shows the core creative team currently in rehearsals in Beijing:
Back row (L–R): Vasin.C (Styling Design), Ge Huichao (Founder of Luminous Festival and Body On&On), Richard Conlon (Co-Director; Artistic Director of Blue Apple Theatre)
Front row (L–R): Cheng Zhe (Project Coordinator of the 7th Luminous Festival | Common Good), Chen Ran (Co-Director; Artist and Theatre Maker)
About Luminous Festival and Body On&On
The Luminous Festival, initiated by Body On&On in 2019, is China's first non-profit Inclusive Arts Festival. Based on the ideas of "sheng sheng bu xi"(“Life grows on without end”) and "min bao wu yu" (“Everyone that’s human is my friend, everything that’s in nature is my kind”), the Luminous Festival is dedicated to promoting accessibility and innovation in contemporary culture and art, to breaking social prejudice and cultural barriers, and to an equal and inclusive world.
Intellectual Heart Theatre Company is supported by with the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grant programme and aims to empower young people with intellectual disabilities in Beijing while deepening UK-China knowledge exchange in accessible theatre.
Connections Through Culture: Exploring new creative collaborations with China
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They foster connections, understanding, and trust between the UK and countries worldwide through their work in arts and culture, education, and the English language.
One of the key programmes, Connections Through Culture supports artists and cultural organisations in developing new collaborations with partners across Asia-Pacific, including China. This initiative enables creatives to explore fresh ideas, expand their international networks, and co-develop innovative projects that reflect global conversations in the arts and creative industries. Through these projects, UK artists and organisations work closely with their Chinese counterparts to exchange ideas, share artistic approaches, and create work that responds to pressing global challenges.
About the venue, 798CUBE
798CUBE Art Museum is a contemporary exhibition space located in Beijing’s renowned 798 Art District. Designed by Studio Zhu-Pei and completed in 2020, the museum is a renovation project that blends industrial heritage with modern architectural forms. It features cast-in-place concrete cubes arranged around a central courtyard, reflecting the geometric and material language of the district’s former factory buildings. The venue is adjacent to other major cultural institutions like the Pace Art Museum and the Minsheng Museum of Modern Art, and serves as a hub for innovative art exhibitions, performances, and cultural exchange.
About Journey to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, written in the 16th century by Ming dynasty scholar Wu Cheng’en. It fictionalises the real-life 7th-century pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Xuánzàng (known in the novel as Tripitaka or Tang Sanzang), who travelled to India to retrieve sacred scriptures.
The story blends history, mythology, and folklore, following Tripitaka and his three supernatural companions — Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), Zhu Bajie (Pigsy), and Sha Wujing (Sandy) — as they face 81 trials on their journey. Each character symbolises different human traits and spiritual challenges, making the novel a rich allegory for the path to enlightenment.
Known for its humour, adventure, and moral depth, Journey to the West explores themes of cooperation, perseverance, and spiritual growth. It has inspired countless adaptations, including the popular UK TV series Monkey, and remains a cornerstone of East Asian culture.[1]
References
[1] Journey to the West: Origin Story, Themes & Symbolism of the Famed ...
Image attribution:
A Modern Journey to the West by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892)
Created in 1864, this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and in countries where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer.
United States public domain tag: This image is also in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Licence: Public domain — free to use with no restrictions.