See it, feel it, do it(2)

Event highlights

Art exhibitions and live musical performances are the mainstays of the festival. And Death Cab for Cutie is one of the big-name bands that will be hitting Shanghai. This Grammy Award-nominated American rock band will be performing on March 9 as the headlining act of the festival. The Taiwanese singer Summer Lei, and the Canada-based Chinese singer Qu Wanting are expected to be big hits among local audiences. "We try to balance different communities in our music lineup including electronic, folk, mainstream pop … all styles of music," said Lavin. "We choose bands that are known for their live performances, and who haven't played so often in Shanghai."

"Jue Next Gen," a photography competition for new and emerging snappers, will be staged for the second year, and welcomes any resident in China to submit works. More than 200 photos have been submitted of which 15 will be chosen by a panel of judges to be displayed at the Central Studios on Huangpi Road South. They will also vote on a first-prize winner who will pick up 10,000 yuan ($1,587).

There are also events that "tie together different disciplines," in Lavin's words. A workshop at the creative space Xinchejian in Changning district has invited a Beijing-based young musician Meng Qi to teach participants how to make their own sound synthesizer. "It's a more interactive event. People learn and create something themselves," she said. Another example is the band Devil Music Ensemble which will play a live accompaniment for the Chinese silent film Hongxia (literally "red warrior") from the 1920s. "Audiences can enjoy watching a film and a live concert at the same time," said Lavin. The film screening is going to take place at Art Labor Gallery on Yongjia Road, which is an unconventional space for the event, and the gallery has never staged a concert in the space before.