A 13-year project has finally come to a close. British artist Kirstie Macleod came up with The Red Dress idea     1     (explore) identity, culture and tradition through embroidery (刺绣).

After passing through the hands of 343 artists across 46     2     (country) , the final piece was assembled (拼装) into a lovingly made and beautifully designed floor-length dress. It is made from 84 pieces of silk, all of     3     were hand-embroidered by artists around the globe. They were from South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Kenya, Japan and beyond.

The artists were encouraged to create     4     work that expressed their own identities while adding their own cultural and traditional experience. Among the artists     5     (be) refugees (难民) who escaped from the war, craftsmen who are carrying on age-old traditions     6     people who learn the art for the first time.

“Initially the project     7     (intend) to produce a dialogue of identity through embroidery and combine diverse cultures,” Kirstie Macleod says. “However, over the 13 years, the dress has also become a platform for self-expression and an opportunity for voices     8     (hear).” The finished dress was worn by several of the artists who helped create the piece,     9     (bring) an added sense of completion to the project. Now, the completed and     10     (full) assembled red dress is going on tour to be displayed at galleries and museums across the globe.

Wei Chunrong has built a reputation as a leading actress of Kunqu Opera,     1     oldest traditional Chinese opera with a history of about 600 years, which, performed in the Suzhou dialect,     2     (know) for graceful body movements, rhythmic singing and exquisite costumes.

She started learning at 10 and     3     (perform) with the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre since she was 16. Wei performed at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in 2001     4     the organization listed it as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity (人类口头和非物质遗产). Now in her 50s, Wei has found a new role. In the     5     (origin) Kunqu Opera production, titled Guo Feng, Wei plays the role of Lady Xu Mu,who was the first female poet     6     (record) in Chinese history.

“I played different roles during the past four decades. For Lady Xu Mu, I have to put aside all my experiences and start afresh     7     (comprehend) and perform the role,” said Wei,     8     (sit) in the dressing room of Tianqiao Theatre a day before the show started on June 19.

“The role, Lady Xu Mu, was written for Wei Chunrong     9     particular. Though she has played many classic roles, she needs one which could represent her     10     (specific) and take her career to the next level,” says Luo, the playwright (剧作家).