Citizen Day School in Shanghai promotes arts and lifelong learning

Shanghai is transforming every corner of the city – and every hour of the day – into a classroom.

The city has introduced Citizen Day School, providing residents with a new opportunity to engage with the arts and pursue lifelong learning during the day.

From revitalizing morning yoga sessions for retirees to lunchtime photography workshops for office workers and creative afternoon classes for at-home caregivers, the Citizen Day School is redefining education to align with the rhythm of everyday urban life.

Registration for the Citizen Art Night School opens at 10am on August 3 and the Citizen Day School at 12pm on August 4. Early sign-up is suggested.

The new day school program offers 238 courses at 78 locations. The curriculum, which ranges from language instruction and yoga to traditional crafts and digital photography, is available at a reasonable price of 500 yuan (US$69.4) for 12 sessions.

The initiative also repurposes underutilized community, commercial and office spaces for daytime cultural activities, transforming them into hubs for creativity and interaction.

The Citizen Day School is an extension of the well-received Shanghai Citizen Art Night School, which will expand to 600 venues and 2,300 classes this autumn.

Together, they are one of China's largest public arts education projects, serving over 46,000 students.

Even night school is changing. It offers more courses this semester, including AI-powered video creation, voice acting, pet nutrition and Chinese folk dancing, in rooftop gardens, shopping malls and health clinics.

Pet-friendly courses, reflecting Shanghai's burgeoning "pet economy" and lifestyle learning demand, are among the most delightful new additions this fall.

The workshops, inspired by Minhang's "Pet Olympics" event, teach dog training and care through expert instruction and hands-on activities, where dogs and owners competed in exciting events. Family-focused courses teach skills and delight.

Yangpu District has introduced a special cultural immersion class featuring Chinese inkstick making, martial arts and other traditional arts.

Designed for connection rather than complexity, these hands-on courses offer a friendly gateway to local culture. With strong interest from university students, more foreigner-friendly classes – from tea culture to digital media – are already in the works across the city.

Wuhu City in Anhui Province joined the program, becoming the first out-of-town partner to offer hands-on culinary heritage workshops rooted in Huaiyang cuisine.

The Weekend Aesthetic Education Classroom has expanded to 242 courses across 73 teaching sites in 16 districts, bringing high-quality arts programming to children and families.

Featuring parent-child calligraphy, digital storytelling, Chinese painting and creative design, the weekend program nurtures artistic exploration in a relaxed, inter-generational setting.

Many courses blend disciplines – such as combining physical education with art or history with technology – encouraging well-rounded development for young learners.

Enrollment for all programs opens in phases starting from August 3, with courses launching in early September.

Registration is available via WeChat accounts of "上海发布," "乐游上海" and Shanghai Mass Art Center (上海市群众艺术馆).