A Professional Encounter with the Manufacturing China

Abstract

This essay is a developed version of a presentation made at a workshop titled “ChinAfrica Under Construction”. The workshop was facilitated and hosted by Goethe Institute Lagos. It was conducted by two artist researchers, Danial Kotter and Jochen Becker from Berlin Germany. According to their consultant Jahman Anikulapo, it is a research and art project that is exploring the traces and cultural links between the African continent and China. He says it also dealt with the development of the urban land scape of Lagos with the aid of Chinese investors. This work therefore, dwelled more on the Theatre/Entertainment technology related aspects. It focuses on the art of manufacturing, purchase and its attendant ripple effects on the economy with tourism being one of them. In it, an attempt was made at summarizing views of some participants at the workshop. My briefing was to discuss my professional encounter and experience with manufacturing China as a theatre designer and technologist. Using the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) methodology suitable for the workshop.