Intangible cultural heritage meets theatre: A Tribute to the "Never Bow Down" Power of Women

On March 8, 2026, "Roald Dahl`s Matilda The Musical" — an Intangible Cultural Heritage Gold Foil Art Experience for International Women’s Day, co-hosted by Dongguan Songshan Lake Performing Arts Center and Guanyi, concluded warmly at the Art Workshop of Yuehua Art Space, Dongguan Sign.More than twenty female theatre fans gathered to create art using the millennium-old intangible cultural heritage technique of gold foil painting. They skillfully blended the iconic image of "the little girl with hands on hips" from the musical Matilda with traditional Lingnan auspicious patterns such as lion dances and phoenixes. Amid light and shadow, they completed an artistic dialogue between tradition and modernity, spending an inspiring and heartfelt festival afternoon.

Under the theme "Roald Dahl`s Matilda The Musical", the event echoed the core message of female empowerment in Matilda. Guided by professional instructors, participants used carving, pasting, and pressing techniques to capture the defiant pose of Matilda alongside the vivid lion dance and elegant phoenix. The glittering gold foil and lively patterns showcased the unique charm of intangible cultural heritage, while conveying the profound theme: the power of women is not defined by age. A five-year-old can be brave; a fifty-year-old can still be unyielding. Inside every girl lives a Matilda who never bows down.