Presenting the 'Great Festival of Creativity'

As British creative industries reach out for opportunities to expand in the Chinese market, the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai from Mar 2 to 4 will showcase UK innovation in sectors such as fashion, luxury retail, health, technology and entertainment, said organizers.

As part of the gala, the National Theatre of Great Britain's life-size puppet horse Joey from the internationally acclaimed theatrical production War Horse will highlight the partnership between the national theaters of Britain and China.

"We are excited to be working with the National Theater of China on the next chapter of the extraordinary journey that War Horse has taken around the world," said Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre of Great Britain. "We very much look forward to sharing it with audiences in Beijing, Shanghai and all over China."

The festival will also host the first viewing of a unique exhibition bringing the variety of British creativity to life.

Items on display for the first time include an interactive model of the No 10 Downing Street front door designed and built by British installation artist Jason Bruges.

Ahead of the festival, London's Philharmonia Orchestra signed a deal with Chinese premium liquor producer Wuliangye on Feb 23 in London.

The 500,000-pound ($777,000) partnership will run over five years and brings together one of China's premiere brands with one of the UK's cultural leaders.

"This is a truly historic collaboration and it is an enormous privilege to be working with a company that combines real cultural leadership with a genuinely innovative approach to both funding and partnership itself," said David Whelton, managing director of the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Whelton said that he hopes it "can create a blueprint for cultural cooperation that can inspire other Chinese companies to work in similar ways".

Ian Livingstone, chairman of Midoki, a games studio based in Warwickshire, told China Daily that his company has cooperated with Chinese partners well and is planning to expand in the fast-growing market.

This year is a milestone in UK-China relations with the first-ever bilateral China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange. It will bring the very best of UK culture to China and Chinese culture to Britain.

Experts said it provides a unique opportunity to strengthen ties between individuals, organizations and governments in the arts and creative industries.

In the year of exchanges, about 30 cultural events will be held in China, including a Scottish Ballet Company performance of Romeo and Juliet in Beijing, said British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a Chinese New Year reception in central London.

"It's not just about the links that bind us together commercially, but also about the greater mutual understanding between the two countries, which is always deepened through cultural exchanges," Clegg said.