BOURNEMOUTH University's renowned Media School and the Beijing Advanced Technology College have been awarded the opportunity to bring new life to China's National Beijing Opera.

Bournemouth University's Skillset-accredited National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) and the Beijing Advanced Technology College (ATC) are collaborating on the development of the 3D Digital Beijing Opera project.

The scheme, to be financed by the Chinese Government, is designed to preserve an important part of China's cultural heritage by using state-of-the-art animation techniques. This will involve the creation of a unique 3D archive of some 1,000 animated characters drawn from the repertoire of the National Beijing Opera.

The intricate movements and postures of the characters will be recorded using motion capture techniques for which Bournemouth University is well known. The project to animate the characters of the Opera will help to develop and expand 3D animation techniques in a country that already excels in the 2D form.

"We are delighted to be working with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the National Beijing Opera on such a prestigious project," said Stephen Jukes, Dean of the Media School at Bournemouth University.