Cultural insights and creative conversations: Dr Linda Johnson illuminates Shanghai's design legacy

The Cultural and Creative Industries programme recently hosted Dr Linda Johnson. Through the prism of her business and creative space, "Madame Mao's Dowry" offered many valuable insights into Cultural and Creative Industries in Shanghai.

The talk attracted many students and teachers from different departments, resulting in a vivid discussion. Dr Johnson, who in her life combines scholarly passion with economic pragmatism, shared her experience of running a unique store for 24 years. She reflected on her journey against the changing landscape of Shanghai and the Chinese economy, offered important advice on how to sustain an original and resilient creative business, emphasized the importance of sustainability in Cultural and Creative Industries, and shared fascinating stories of her engagements with objects and people over the years.

"Madame Mao's Dowry" is a boutique store devoted to appreciating and promoting rich design history in China. Together with vintage objects, it showcases the creations of contemporary designers who engage with local traditions, aesthetics and communities. It seeks to reflect on the continuity of the creative trajectory in China against rapid modernization. It is driven by a strong desire to encourage thoughtful inheritance of the cultural past and the planet through creative practice and responsible consumption.

The lecture included a presentation, a discussion moderated by Dr Karolina Pawlik, and an open Q&A session for the audience. It aimed to provoke in-depth thinking about design history, social enterprises, creative practices, cross-cultural communication in business, changes in retro and red culture trends, and the possibilities of promoting Chinese culture through unique narratives.

Through this lecture, participants gained new insights into Chinese design history and a deeper understanding of maintaining the vitality and sustainability of cultural and creative industries in a rapidly changing modern society. Dr Johnson's experiences and insights provided valuable learning opportunities for the Cultural and Creative Industries programme academic staff and students at the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, inspiring new ideas for developing cultural and creative industries in Shanghai and beyond.

Provided by Dr Karolina Pawlik

Edited by Wenzhen Li

Photos courtesy of Dr Karolina Pawlik