Report to the Community 2017 | Page 25

23 UNDER SIEGE The face of Melbourne is changing: Mandarin has become the number one language other than English spoken at home in the city  1 . Presenting large-scale work from Asia is a key programming focus in order to build awareness and appreciation of A sian art and ultimately bridge cultural divides. Under Siege, by acclaimed Chinese choreographer Yang Liping, attracted not only an expat Chinese audience, but introduced Peking opera and traditional Chinese folk music to our broad audience. An opening weekend highlight, the work was a stunning vision of the climatic historical battle between the Chu and Han armies which changed the course of Chinese history. SOURCE | 1: Australian Census, 2016.