.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Working with aim of passing on heritage of traditional arts and enriching the public’s literary appreciation, the TSMC Education and Culture Foundation is dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese opera. The foundation has set the long-term goal of broadening participation in traditional Chinese opera activities, and discloses its progress in the annual sustainability reports. One of the Foundation’s efforts is the three-year “Chinese Opera on Campus” program, an exclusive sponsorship of the GuoGuang Opera Company. In this project, professional actors preserve the performing art of Peking Opera by mentoring the students through a ‘continuation, assistance, and guidance’ approach. The students who finished this course in 2024 publicly performed the classic Peking Opera play “Chun-Tsao Braving the Court” at the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center as well as the 2024’s TSMC Hsin-Chu Arts Festival. The number of audience who came together to celebrate the art of traditional theater for these two performances totaled more than 1,000 people, marking a historic milestone for traditional arts education in Taiwan.
A public performance experience not only transforms one’s personality but also one’s life. As well as learning Peking Opera, this class allows the students to gain a different appreciation for learning, their own abilities and their values.
Diversified Platforms to Promote and Pass on the Traditional Chinese Opera Culture
Chinese Opera is a comprehensive art form that combines Chinese literature, history, music, dance, and performance.. In order to preserve its essence in the face of changing times, the Foundation actively promotes Chinese Opera culture and reaches out to and influence a wider audience. In 2021, besides launching the radio program "Tales from Chinese Opera" to enhance public interest in opera, the Foundation initiated the “Chinese Opera on Campus” pilot program, cooperating with academic institutions such as National Tsing Hua University, Tunghai University and the GuoGuang Opera Company. The project utilizes the professional educational resources provided by GuoGuang Opera Company to offer a three-year credited course at two universities: through five weeks of lectures on Chinese opera and eight weeks of workshop training, as well as the students’ repeated practice and refinement after class, the project has guided nearly 300 college students to experience the beauty of this performing art. Additionally, the TSMC Education and Culture Foundation also launched the “TSMC Theater” on-campus promotion program. It offers introductory talks, guided performances and lectures on Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera provided by outstanding professional theater troupes in universities and colleges in the Hsinchu area and central and southern Taiwan. The Foundation also invites high school students in cities where TSMC sites are located to see performances on university campuses. Through a variety of activities, the foundation aims to foster an understanding and appreciation of traditional arts among the younger generation.
Milestones of TSMC Education and Culture Foundation’s Advocation for Chinese Opera
Created the radio program “Tales from Chinese Opera”
- Utilized digital platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, and Spotify to share Chinese Opera stories. Each week a professional Peking Opera actor is invited to the program for an interview, guiding the public to appreciate the charm of Chinese Opera
Initiated “Chinese Opera on Campus” program
- Combined professional theater troupes’ expertise and university’s resources to offer a three-year course, passing on the heritage of traditional opera culture to the next generation of students
Launched college campus promotion program “TSMC Theater”
- Cooperated with universities and colleges in the Hsinchu area, and in central and southern Taiwan, to organize guided talks, performances, and lectures on Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera. Through live performances by professional Chinese opera performers, students are guided to experience the beauty of the Chinese Opera
- Partnered with theater troupes to bring live performances to college and high school campuses. Invited students from areas where TSMC sites are located to see the TSMC-sponsored performances with the aim of inspiring them to learn and take an interest in theater
The three-year “Chinese Opera on Campus” program was successfully completed
- Students enrolled in this class showcased what they learned at an public performance of “Chun-Tsao Braving the Court” at Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center. More than 595 people attended the performance, marking a new milestone for the history of education in traditional arts in Taiwan
The process of going from spectator to performer is made up of steady hard work during countless rehearsals and the laughter we shared together. I am grateful for this class which makes traditional art accessible.
At first I was concerned that the college kids who knew nothing about the basic stances, body movements and enunciation in Peking Opera would not be able to perform Peking Opera in public after taking only a handful of classes. Then I realized that the person who has learnt most is me - teaching kids from the ground up is a way to learn how to fine-tune and examine the details in a work. My horizons have been broadened.
The TSMC Education and Culture Foundation works with three major strategies in mind - cultivating youth, educational collaboration, and promoting arts and culture- to advocate for common good in society. The Foundation will continue to push for a second three-year “Chinese Opera on Campus” project to reach out to more young students who are willing to dedicate themselves to arts and culture. In doing so, the seeds of appreciation for arts can take root and the beauty of traditional culture can continue to bear fruit in the future.
Share
