In the final episode of the 2025 Moments ·片刻 podcast, Dr. Hao Xie from the University of Warwick’s Centre for Media and Cultural Policy Studies interviews Shuangshuang Cai.

In this reflective conversation, Shuangshuang shares her journey as a cultural and creative entrepreneur and reveals how pursuing higher education has unlocked new creative energy and professional momentum for her.

Note: this episode is recorded in Mandarin.

Prof. Steve Fuller is Professor of Sociology at Warwick University, UK. He has written extensively on politics and social theory and the sociology of science.

He has spoken in 30 countries, often keynoting professional academic conferences, and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts since 1995. His writings have been translated into over twenty languages.

In this episode, Steve shares his holistic vision for higher education, offering a comparative analysis of systems in the UK, the US, and China. He then synthesizes this global perspective into a compelling blueprint for the ideal university.

Dr Robert O'Toole leads the Digital Arts and Humanities Lab (DAHL) and has created a framework for the integration of technology into arts, humanities, and design at the University of Warwick.

Robert is currently running We Are FAB People, An Earful of DAHL and Museum Explorations podcasts, continuously engaging in dialogue with creative people to spark inspiration.

In this episode, Robert discusses creating a suite of transdisciplinary Design Thinking modules at Warwick, framing the subject with a critical perspective.

Harry Mackrill was Associate Director of Kiln Theatre 2018 – 2019, and Resident Director of the Tricycle Theatre 2013 – 2015. Harry trained as an actor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.  

Theatre includes: FABULATIONS (Conway Hall/Leicester Curve/Key Theatre Peterborough); WHAT IT MEANS (The Lot); WORLD’S END, BOY WITH BEER (King’s Head Theatre); LET KILBURN SHAKE (Kiln Theatre) 

Film includes: LED BY THE CHILD (The Lot), ADJUSTMENTS (The Lot/If Opera)

Harry is currently a Performance-as-Research PhD Candidate at Leeds Beckett (School of Arts Studentship) where he is using queer dramaturgy as a research tool to archive the unrecorded experiences of Section 28 for LGBTQ+ youth 1988 - 2003. 

In this episode, Harry shares his extensive experience across both the creative industries and academia.

Xiwei Ma recently won the Best Individual Performance Award at the Young Artists Competition of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival.

Based in Shanghai, she works not only as an actor but also as a practitioner of art therapy and drama education within international schools.

In this podcast episode, Xiwei discusses her immersive experience of creating and staging productions for the festival. She also reflects on the struggles and uncertainties that theatre artists commonly face when navigating future career choices.

Dr. Jonathan Vickery is a Reader in the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies at the University of Warwick. His primary research areas are cultural politics and the public sphere. He has made significant contributions to the field of public art.

He was the co-director of the Shanghai City Lab project (2013-15); Chair of the Art of Management and Organization Ltd (2014-2017); and a member of the management committee of Coventry’s Spon Spun Festival (2017-2020) among other cultural events.

In this episode, Jonathan drew upon his vast global experiences, offering poignant observations from his time in places like Serbia and China. He left the audience with a crucial message for students of culture and the arts: in the face of global uncertainty, the deliberate accumulation of knowledge and wisdom is our most vital compass for the future.

Mark Evans trained originally at the École Jacques Lecoq, and with Philippe Gaulier and Monika Pagneux, in Paris. since 2012, he has held a personal chair as Professor of Theatre Training and Education, and until August 2019 was Associate Dean (Student Experience) in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. 

His research interests are in the movement training of actors and performers, the history and practice of physical theatre, the theatre and pedagogic practice of Jacques Copeau and of Jacques Lecoq, the creative use of reflective writing, innovative performance pedagogy. 

In this episode, he unravels the very aesthetics and philosophy of physical theatre, revealing not just his expertise, but a lifelong passion for the art of movement and education.

Dr. Lin Zheng is a senior lecturer in Education and Linguistics at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Her research in international education, intercultural communication, and management informs an interdisciplinary approach to both her teaching and scholarship.

In this podcast, Dr. Lin Zheng reflects on two decades of experience studying, working, and living in the UK. She advises young people navigating contemporary challenges to cultivate their passions and strengths through dedicated practice, patiently awaiting their own "season of blossoming."

Professor Jonothan Neelands is a National Teaching Fellow, Professor of Creative Education at the Warwick Business School (WBS) and Chair of Drama and Theatre Education at the University of Warwick. 

He is interested in developing a future-oriented and problem based pedagogy for business education and training with an emphasis on ethical and inclusive models of leadership.
Jonathan has dedicated his career to advancing theater education, facilitating workshops across the globe to promote social transformation through his distinctive theatrical approach.

In this episode, he discusses his process of adapting traditional Chinese narratives and texts into theater-based workshops. He demonstrates how these activities help participants identify universal human experiences within Chinese cultural contexts.

Dr Gareth White has been at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama since 2004, in the main teaching on Drama, Applied Theatre and Education.

Gareth's teaching and research overlap in his focus on collaborative creative processes and participatory practices.

In this episode, Gareth shares with us mainly about the aesthetics of participatory theatre, audience participation in immersive theatre, arts and human connection, etc.

He maintains that even within this era of rapid technological advancement, art remains a vital medium through which we can perceive hope.