A New Chapter Opened in Cultural Innovation by TASA in Collaboration with “Handmade in Shandong · Qingdao Gifts”

Recently, the Unveiling Ceremony of “Handmade in Shandong · Qingdao Gifts” Cultural Creativity Alliance and the Launching Ceremony of “QMG Xiaodao Cultural Creativity” Brand were grandly held at the 800-square-meter studio hall of Qingdao Media Group. Hosted by Qingdao Media Group under the guidance of the Publicity Department of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, this event has attracted many key players in the cultural creativity sector. As a vital representative in the cultural and creative industry, TASA deeply participated in this grand event.

The venue gathered stellar attendees including leading cultural and creative enterprises, ICH inheritors, university think tanks, and strategic cooperation brands from across Qingdao. TASA was selected as one of the first founding members of the Cultural Creativity Alliance in recognition of its outstanding contributions and innovative capabilities in the cultural creativity sector. Mr. WANG Jiansong, Vice President of TASA, was invited to attend the event and received the plaque, marking official recognition of TASA’s role in shaping Qingdao’s cultural and creative industry ecosystem and its commitment to advancing industrial development.

During the event, Mr. WANG Jiansong delivered a significant speech. Mr. WANG Jiansong first pointed out that being a member of the Cultural Creativity Alliance represents both an honor and a responsibility. He highlighted that TASA’s Cultural and Creative Industry Laboratory has been dedicated to the deep integration of art and science, exploring innovative development pathways for the cultural and creative industry. Joining the Cultural Creativity Alliance presents crucial opportunities for expanding the laboratory’s development scope and realizing greater value. Mr. WANG Jiansong then introduced the publication Beautiful China: The Collection of Creative Cases of Intangible Cultural Heritage — a book related to intangible cultural heritage and cultural creativity — published by Tsinghua University Press and compiled by TASA. This book is an important achievement of TASA in the field of cultural innovation and protection. It vividly and comprehensively documents the process, experience and insights of one-on-one collaboration between 29 ICH inheritors and AADTHU instructors, centrally showcasing the thoughts, explorations and innovative practices of ICH inheritors in terms of consumer insights, product design, and market-oriented marketing in the process of “intangible cultural heritage entering modern life” in recent years.

Speaking of future plans, Mr. WANG Jiansong stated that TASA would leverage its advantages in interdisciplinary studies to strengthen cooperation with other alliance members. On one hand, TASA would inject new vitality into the innovation of ICH skills by virtue of the rich academic resources and talent reserves of universities, and explore how to combine modern technological means with traditional ICH skills, so that the ancient intangible cultural heritage can radiate new charm in the new era. On the other hand, in the development of urban IPs, TASA would employ innovative design concepts and cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements to explore the unique urban cultural connotations of Qingdao and create urban cultural and creative IPs with wide influence and market competitiveness.

Besides, Mr. WANG Jiansong stressed that the development of the cultural and creative industry requires collaborative cooperation across the entire industry chain. TASA’s Cultural and Creative Industry Laboratory will actively participate in the upgrading of the cultural and creative industry chain and closely cooperate with enterprises and institutions in the upstream and downstream of the industry chain to form an efficient industrial collaboration mechanism from creative conception and product design to production and marketing promotion, thereby jointly driving the high-quality development of Qingdao’s cultural and creative industry. In the context of globalization, the laboratory will also use its own international cooperation resources to help Qingdao’s cultural and creative industries go global and enhance Qingdao’s reputation and influence in the international market.

This unveiling of the “Handmade in Shandong · Qingdao Gifts” Cultural Creativity Alliance marks a new stage of development for Qingdao’s cultural and creative industry. Taking this awarding of the plaque as a new start, TASA’s Cultural and Creative Industry Laboratory will work with all alliance members and contribute its wisdom and strength to Qingdao’s leap from a “famous cultural city” to a “cultural and creative powerhouse,” writing a brilliant chapter of Qingdao’s cultural and creative industry in the journey of creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture.