event 17 Aug 2024
a photograph of a street performer in colourful costume and make up staring at the camera Photography by Anh Do

Ancestral Futures - Street Procession & Performance by Eelyn Lee & Collaborators

Date 17 Aug 2024
Time 14:00 – 15:00
Venue Tudor Square

Ancestral Futures is a processional street performance in honour of the first recorded Chinese people in Sheffield –a group of magicians on tour from China who performed at the Whitsuntide Festival, 1855. 

Part of Biennial 2024
a photograph of a street performer in colourful costume and make up staring at the camera Photography by Anh Do

On 31st May, 1855, Teh Kwei 德貴, a Chinese magician buried his 5-week old baby in a Sheffield graveyard. The baby is listed in the St Paul’s Burial Register as ‘A Chow’ (Chinese).

Ancestral Futures was a processional street performance in honour of the first recorded Chinese people in Sheffield –a group of magicians on tour from China who performed at the Whitsuntide Festival, 1855.  

A new mythological character, created by artist Eelyn Lee and her collaborators, embodied the spirits of these ancestors. Taking place during Ghost Month, where in some ESEA cultures, the deceased are believed to visit the living, the procession conjured the British born Chinese baby and his family. Weaving movement, costume, ancestral objects and sound to activate stories from the past, present and future, the procession rewrote the archive into the city streets.

The Procession Route:

2pm Tudor Square [meet outside the Crucible Theatre]: Awakening and Naming Ceremony 

Come and help awaken the new mythological creature and join the blessing and naming ceremony.

While in Sheffield, Teh Kwei and his wife Wang Noo lodged on Sycamore St where their baby died of ‘inflammation of the lungs’. Sycamore St used to run straight through the current site of The Crucible and Tudor Square.

2.15pm Process towards the Peace Gardens 
Follow the procession towards Cheney Row which runs between the Peace Gardens and the Town Hall. 

This is the route Teh Kwei would have taken, carrying his dead baby towards St Paul’s Graveyard, 169 years ago.

2.25 Conjuring a Ghost
Where Norfolk Street meets Cheney Row, the mythological creature will conjure the ghost of baby ‘A Chow’, inviting him to join the procession.

St Paul’s was a large church that stood on the site of the Peace Gardens for over 200 years [1721-1937]. Baby ‘A Chow’ was the last member of the public to be buried in its churchyard.

2.35pm March of the Ancestors
Join the procession, help make some noise as it marches down Cheney Row and forms a circle around the Peace Gardens.

3.00pm Offerings of Love and Nourishment 
Assemble outside the Winter Gardens to make offerings of love and nourishment to the Ghost of 'A Chow' before he returns to the spirit world.   

a photograph of a street procession leaving the Crucible theatre with a performer in colourful face paint and costume leading the way Photography by Anh Do
a photograph of several East Asian and South East Asian people standing together and holding banners with people's faces on it Photography by Anh Do
a photograph of a performer in full colourful costume and face paint staring at the camera and kicking one leg high in the air Photography by Anh Do
a photograph of a street performer wearing colourful costume and face paint posing with their arms outstretched and eyes looking at the sky Photography by Anh Do
a photograph of two performers moving a large drum through a street procession Photography by Anh Do
a wide shot photograph of several people outside the Crucible theatre and surrounding a street performer lying on the floor with her arms outstretched Photography by Anh Do
DEVELOPED BY EELYN LEE

Collaborators include:

Dance Artist, Tala Lee-Turton

Sound Artist, Angela Wai Nok Hui 

Costume Designer, Christine Ting-Huan 挺歡 Urquhart

Costume Maker, Erin Guan

Artist, Clara Cheung

with additional support and funding from Sheffield Theatres, Necessity and Artcry.