Silvia Romanelli

Silvia Romanelli was born in Monterubbiano, Italy, on the 5th March 1984. She attended the “Annibal Caro" Humanities’ High School in Fermo, Italy.

A curiosity for foreign languages and cultures, for travel and far-away countries brought her to study Chinese at the University of Rome “La Sapienza". During her years of study at University, she developed a particular interest towards Chinese theatre and philosophy. For her Bachelor’s Degree (2007), she wrote a Thesis about the roots of Puppet and Shadow Theatre in China. For her Master’s Degree Thesis (2009) she analysed the development of the Indian Buddhism’s concept of alayavijñana (“warehouse-consciousness") in China, and especially in the book Cheng Wei Shi Lun 成唯识论 by Xuanzang 玄奘, a 7th century Buddhist monk who bravely travelled from China to India to find religious scriptures.

During those same years of University, Silvia Romanelli had the possibility to come in contact with the lively theatre environment of Rome and she partecipated in drama courses and plays in a few different theatres in the Italian capital. She also took part in a clown workshop in Ibiza (Spain) and a mime course in Paris (France), and she’s going to find a good acting course in Manchester too. In 2006 and 2008 she lived in Beijing and studied at the “Beijing Foreign Studies University" (北京外国语大学), as part of a three months study abroad programme. She spent her last University year in Paris as an Erasmus student at the INALCO (Institut National de Langues et Civilisations Orientales).

Silvia gained knowledge of ChinaHereAndThere through this website. She is now in Manchester to give her personal contribution to CHAT and at the same time to learn from an inside experience into an organization engaged in production of China focused art works. Alongside her activity in CHAT, she’s also giving private Mandarin lessons and looking forward to have more and more students.
Silvia can be contacted directly at: chinahereandthere@googlemail.com