In Changning District of Shanghai, if you search for “supermarket,” you might see a peculiar result pop up: New Writing Supermarket (新写作超市). Not to be mistaken for your typical grocery store—you won’t be able to pick up eggs or sweet potatoes here—this is more like an entry ticket to a creative, performance art–filled wonderland.
New Writing Supermarket is a theater-themed organization based in Shanghai. Founded in 2025, it operates out of a physical space in the city center. With the aim of providing young artists opportunities to reach wider audiences for their work, New Writing Supermarket maintains its nonprofit ethos while constantly exploring and expanding the local creative landscape.
The whole project began with theater. Within one of the city’s hubs for theater artists, the founders leveraged their existing network to host workshops for young people interested in theater and eager to gain more exposure. The organization has hosted script-reading sessions of classic works such as Electra, and has since premiered its own original production, Tracy’s Trial. Writing and performance are its core mediums, but the group also experiments with accessibility—exploring embodied experience and the relationship between music and Braille.
Beyond theater, New Writing Supermarket has opened itself up to other art forms. To ring in 2026, NWS hosted a three-day market, recruiting stall owners through an open call. Last week, it also threw two parties in collaboration with nightclub SYSTEM, offering a spin on traditional Chinese New Year celebrations in a club setting.
Where New Writing Supermarket will go next remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: it is a shared history of art and creativity, written collectively by those participating in the building of this creative community within the heart of the city.
Cover Image via SYSTEM.
