Music graduate brings International audiences closer together with CritiClassical - Shanshan Shi

As a Master's alumna of the University of Birmingham with a music degree and
working experience in the UK and China, Shanshan Shi has used her skills, temperament, networking and passion for music and the arts to drive and succeed in creating her own business – CritiClassical. 

With a presence in both the UK and China, CritiClassical organises, coordinates and delivers concerts, exhibitions, cultural exchange programmes and other events for clients in one country seeking exposure in the other. 

For example CritiClassical creates opportunities for UK based amateur choirs to host concerts in China while on the other hand, creating insightful 'art education appreciation' touring opportunities for Chinese art students in the UK.

Successfully applying for the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneurship visa has ensured that Shanshan through CritiClassical could achieve all this. 

China, with its 1 billion population and growing stake in world affairs, presents an important market characterised by an increasing number of aficionados of western performing arts. This represents an unsaturated and high-potential market which new and upcoming UK artists can benefit from in many ways. Facing such a large market, many Western classical musicians cannot find the right contacts to access it. If I could start a music management company in the UK, I would be able to build a bridge between musicians and Chinese audiences.

Shanshan was supported to do this by the B-Enterprising Team who manage the Start-up Visa (previously known as Tier 1 GE Visa).

It is very easy to be distracted when you start a business on your own, but B-Enterprising helped me keep in mind and catch up with a feasible goal through monthly follow-up and quarterly meetings. This self-review and timely summary, as well as dialogues with the right people about your business running, are all very necessary. I often burst out new business

ideas when writing reports and when I was talking with Kerry from B-Enterprising team.

I thought classical music is not a hot topic for entrepreneurship, so the B-Enterprising team might not be able to provide much help, but when I explain to them my current problems via B-Enterprising appointments, he would teach me how to find laws and regulations, how to Use the Internet to find the right industry connections, and how to solve the seemingly unique problems that are actually very common in the entrepreneurial process.

Shanshan has fully taken advantage of the recent pandemic despite it impacting her business she has turned it around and added a new business to her company “I developed a more stable income for the company via providing digital marketing services. I, therefore, believe that every crisis is accompanied by opportunities, so keep trying, and keep moving forward”.

Despite the strict restrictions in China over the past year, they are now returning to a new normal.  Concert Halls and theatres are now re-opening and CritiClassical is able to resume some of its previous services with concert tours in the pipeline for 2021 and 2022. We wish Shanshan and CritiClassical the best of luck.

Find out more by visiting the CritiClassical website here

Blog edited by Kerry Brunn
With thanks to Shanshan Shi