In February and March, Chinese children in home school have been writing poetry, making drawings, recorded videos and painted interpretations of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale ‘Bottleneck'. Under the slogan “Stay healthy, stay positive, let’s keep playing”, William Theater in Hong Kong has launched an online Andersen Prize Award targeting Chinese children and their parents.

The idea was fostered when theater manager William Yip visited Odense in February 2020, to plan theater activities on the occasion of H.C. Andersen Festivals in August. At that time, the COVID19 situation in China was chaotic. Cities, factories and educational sites were isolated and closed and children sent home from school.

Together with organizations and educational establishments, William Yip initiated the award project. His goal was to keep up the courage of the many Chinese children who had to stay home from school, just as is now the reality here on our latitudes. Learn for Life, Nordfyn’s Folk Highschool, and The H.C. Andersen Foundation contributed to the idea and has since sent information and material to China.

Jury with Danish participation

Hundreds of drawings and other creative works have poured in, and more are coming. The theme is Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale "Bottleneck", and the children show great creativity within a multitude of genres; paper cuts, drawings, videos with drama, song and music. In China more than 100 organizations and schools support the project. William Yip, his theater team and Danish artists have been on the sidelines to help the Chinese children along the way.

A Chinese pre-jury selects the 10 most creative works, and among them the top three are selected. The main jury consists of participants from China and Denmark. The Danish representatives include Jens Thodberg Bertelsen, responsible for the H.C. Andersen Foundation's educational track, Mogens Godballe, Nordfyn’s Folk Highschool, Lisa Van, Mutter & Mus and Benedicte Riis, Teach & Learn with HCA.

New life to Andersen

-I believe that art can enlighten and bring hope. So does H.C. Andersen's fairytales. To me, “Bottleneck" is not just a story about a bottle on a journey, but an allegory of life with its ups and downs. Although the bottle ends up having only its neck left, it is still as beneficial as it used to be back then when it was a proud champagne bottle, says William Yip from Beijing.

- I am totally overwhelmed by the great interest from both children who submit ideas, and all our good partners in China who have shared our project.

William Yip is a great admirer of Hans Christian Andersen, and when he and his team teach in China, it is often with Andersen's fairytales as inspiration. He knows Denmark well and has participated in children's theater festivals, attended a week long course at Nordfyn’s Folk Highschool, and for the past two years he has participated with Chinese theater children at HCA Festivals in Odense. We all cross our fingers that it will be possible to repeat the success in August - it depends solely on the development of the COVID-19 situation.

Click in the video gallery and hear William tell why he loves the fairytale “The Bottle neck”. (William speaks in English).

Read the article in China Daily