The Press Conference of Program Announcement of The 19th China Shanghai International Arts Festival Was Held

2017-09-07

The 19th China Shanghai International Arts Festival will be held during October 20th and November 19th, 2017. At a time when the 19th CPC National Congress declares a solemn opening, the Arts Festival follows the series speeches on literature and art work delivered by the general secretary Xi Jinping as the guidance, and combines deployment and spirit of the country and China concerning the great development and flourishing of socialist culture while closely embracing major policies of the national literature and art development and the socialist core values. Through the wonderful programs in every section, the successful practices and the great achievements in the literature and art construction of socialism with Chinese characteristic can be revealed, the high spirit of Shanghai urban culture driven by innovation can be presented, and the progress of building an international cultural metropolis can be promoted.

(The Stage Photo of Swan Lake


Elaborating activities in every section and manifesting cultural confidence

The festival this year will take on 45 repertoires (25 from the oversea and 20 from the domestic) and 2 culture weeks (Guizhou Culture Week and Israel Culture Week); 10 exhibitions; 46 repertoires and 94 performances in Art Space; 55 programs and 110 performances in Art Plus Program; 9 commissioned works in Rising Artists' Works and 31 invited performances & exhibitions in R.A.W.Land!. The festival also invites 450 organizations from home and abroad to attend Performing Arts Fair and holds 10 forums; sets 3 parallel session in Wuxi, Ningbo, Hefei and runs 7 themed festivals, including Comedy Festival, Magic Festival, Zhujiajiao Water Village Music Festival and Shanghai Interactive Festival of Theater in Jiading. The activities in every section aim to show the enterprise and innovation in mechanism and the spirit of caring for original works, public welfare and people. Based on promotion of the cultural exchange and cooperation along the Belt and Road and the enhancement of the cultural confidence, the festival determines to globalize Chinese fine culture. 

 

(The Stage Photo of Ada Ava


Highlight inheritance of the revolutionary spirit in gene and create a warm atmosphere to celebrate the 19th CPC National Congress

The opening performance of this festival is The Beginning - a symphonic cantata by Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and Shanghai Opera House, written by the Shanghainese post-90s composer Gong Tianpeng as the youngest creator in the opening ceremony over the years. The Beginning writes a great chapter concerning the birth of Communist Party of China in Shanghai in 1921 from the perspective of youth. This classical romantic symphonic cantata is characteristic of a distinctive nationality and a large number of Shanghainese elements, with the combination of the global vision and the local flavor. It expresses post-90s artists' patriotic feelings while telling the national destiny and story. Through this local original new work, the cultural vitality brought by the " One Troupe, One Strategy " reform on cultural groups and the fine situation for young artists of talent coming forth in large numbers can be highlighted.


(The Stage Photo of The Blazing Dawn

Among the performances, there are works eulogizing outstanding members of the Communist Party of China, such as Gu Wenchang by National Theater of China, Dong Biwu by The People's Art Theater of Wuhan, and Tu Yoyo by Ningbo Performing Arts Group & Ningbo Symphony Orchestra; there are works carrying forward national uprightness, such as The Country's Grain Field by Tianjin People's Art Theater, The Blazing Dawn by Shanghai Jingju Company, and Zhu Jian'er: Heaven, Earth, Mankind and Harmony Concert by Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. To celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of China Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the festival is to hold The Beautiful Prairie, My Sweet Home : Evening of Song and Dance.

(The Stage Photo of Dong Biwu

Through the paintings and sculptures created by several generations of art workers in Shanghai, an exhibition reviews the birth and development of the Communist Party of China, shows the brilliant achievements made by the whole country in pursuit of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and leads the audience to look back at the road to the beginner's mind.

(A Picture of Work on 2017(21st) Shanghai Art Fair )


Highlight services for the cultural exchange and cooperation along the Belt and Road and play a key role

(1)"Cooperation Network" expands "Friends Circle" 

During the festival, "The Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals" will be formally established with an announcement of the action plan. The members of the alliance involve more than 30 countries and regions, which marks the institutionalization and normalization of the cooperation and exchange of "the Belt and Road" Arts Festival. In the future, "The Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals" will establish cooperation paths like works exchange tours and artist exchange cultivation in the leadership of China Shanghai International Arts Festival. The performing arts fair this year will set up a section exclusive for "the Belt and Road" Arts Festival and organize special promotion activities; continue to hold "the Belt and Road" International Arts Festival Development Forum and invite representatives of famous arts festivals to discuss the future development of "The Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals" together.

 (2) Famous troupes and masters, classic and innovation

The closing performance of this festival is The Makropulos Case by Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno. The author of the opera, Yannachek, is one of the three major musicians of the Czech Republic. The National Theatre Brno has a history of over 100 years and acts as an important cultural post in the Czech Republic. As a famous national opera of Janetchek, The Makropulos Case describes the fantastic life of an ever-young opera actress Miss Makropulos in a suspenseful style. The work not only embodies the unique musical style of countries along the Belt and Road, but provides a reference sample for national innovation of opera.


(The Stage Photo oThe Makropulos Case

Famous troupes and masters gather around the music programs in this year. The Berliner Philharmoniker and the Staatskapelle Dresden, which are both listed in the "World Top 10 Symphony Orchestras", respectively cooperate with Chinese pianists Lang Lang and Li Yundi in symphonic concerts, and the Vienna Philharmonic, with a long history, will also bring their wonderful performances to China again. Czech National Symphony Orchestra will perform Wang Xizhi, a new work by the Shanghainese composer Ye Guohui, on the stage, which polishes a model of transnational “the Belt and Road”art cooperation.

Dance shows are also of highlights. The world's leading ballet company NDT1 will bring Shoot the Moon to China for the very first time, Béjart Ballet Lausanne will show a new interpretation of The Magic Flute and Avant Garde Dance will display the classical literary works Fagin's Twist in hip-hop - a contemporary art form.

(The Stage Photo oShoot the Moon

For dramas, two masters in the international theater sector will make their appearance in the festival. The legendary American dramatist Robert Wilson self directs and acts Lecture on Nothing in a unique visual language. The renowned British dramatist Peter Brook will present a new Battlefield adapted from the Indian epic The Mahabharata.

(The Stage Photo oLecture on Nothing

Exhibitions focus on the integration of cross-border creativity and leading edge art, and thus Sound and Shadow - An Art Exhibition Dedicated to Beethoven, ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, 2017(21st) Shanghai Art Fair and other fine exhibitions are on the calendar.  


Highlight “Creating the World – Chinese Creation Myths” and promote & inherit the fine traditional Chinese culture

During the festival, there will be the Creating the World - Chinese Creation Myths Arts Exhibition to show the mythology-themed series comic by China Painting Institute. Through the artistic interpretation of Chinese creation myths, the cultural core can be found and the cultural confidence can be manifested. The performing arts fair will also open a "Creation Myths" area to display, promote and trade the latest related works by organizations in Shanghai. 

The traditional Chinese opera section contains eight different kinds of operas from eight regions, and this revels not only the artistic achievements of traditional operas but the innovation in the content and form. In order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous Pingtan opera master Jiang Yuequan, Shanghai Pingtan Troupe will introduce Find Mr. Jiang Yuequan to the public; Quju Opera Ah Q and Kong Yiji makes a clever combination of two tragic characters in Lu Xun's works, and Kunju Opera 15 Bunches of Coins assembles the all-star team throughout five generations to reproduce the classic in a novel way. Besides, Qinqiang Opera Yisu Society, Zhuangju Opera Feng Zicai, Xiangju Opera Moon Dream and some other works of great local features are to perform the classic literary images and contemporary Chinese stories on the stage. In Guizhou Culture Week, there will be Beautiful Guizhou, which epitomizes Guizhou art essence, Huadeng Opera The Moon Shines the Maple-woods Ferry, etc.

(The Stage Photo oAh Q and Kong Yiji


Highlight cultivation to promote creation and foster & support artists

During the festival, 6 works will come to the world for the first time and 12 to China. YOUTH• REALM Exhibition, CSIAF Commissioned Works The Bund and Martial Dance and other original creations will open to the public in the festival.


(The Stage Photo oMartial Dance

The festival determines to insist "Rising Artists' Works" and R.A.W.Land!. In this year there are all together 9 commissioned works from "Rising Artists' Works". Drama Hot Pot, Kunqu Opera Snow in Chang’an, Experimental Theatre Yue Opera Destiny of Rebirth, Contemporary Sichuan Opera Ghost in Love incorporate modern artistic techniques and pay tribute to the traditional culture. At the same time, during the 8-day R.A.W.Land!, Drama Mo Fei, Drama Lovely Ghost and etc. will be on stage, accompanied by environmental dramas, animation works, micro-films and other forms of art works from society and universities.


Benefiting people through the festival and upgrading humanistic temperature in the city 

(1) Art Space: Enter the business district in the community and boot the public culture in the city

Art Space has organized over 90 public performances around the 16 districts in Shanghai, covering operas, musicals, symphonies, folk music, chamber music, dances, dramas, circuses and other art forms. Meanwhile, it also continues to produce 12-Hour Special Activity dedicated to art masters like Beethoven and Sibelius.

Based on the "1+16" mechanism, Art Space further constructs "One District One Highlight, One District One Feature". On one hand, it consolidates Huangpu District's role in music, Jing'an District's role in opera and Changning District's role in dance; on the other hand, it establishes Gongqing Forest Park in Yangpu District to create a world-class urban forest concert. It also supports outskirts with high-quality performance resources as an effort to cultivate the artistic atmosphere in Jinshan , Fengxian , Chongming District and so forth. 

(The Stage Photo oTitanic Dance

(2) Art Plus Program: Lean close to students and strengthen art practice & publicity

For different age groups, the program elaborates Overview of the Arts Festival, Arts into Campus and other kinds of art activities up to over 100 times, and thus well establishes an art education "brand chain". In this year, the program also initiates "Student Arts Jury" which recruits students from universities and high schools to appreciate performances throughout the festival. The starting point is to encourage students to discuss art works from their own perspective, and provide comments, feedback and suggestions to choose the best one. 

(The Stage Photo oFarting elephant playing the tuba : Zoo Orchestra — Enlightening symphony concert based on a German original picture book

(3) Convenient ticketing: Open online and offline channels to facilitate the public 

The festival continues to improve the ticket service, from ticket sales to preferential tickets.  It upgrades the online ticketing platform and releases e-coupons. In the meantime, it integrates offline ticketing resources, perfects sales work in the community, theater and university, and increases regular points of sales for preferential tickets.


Highlight professionalism of the exchange platform and underscore the leading position of the festival

(1) Performing Art Fair: the globe, the full format, the whole industrial chain 

The fair this year further expands the scale and invites more than 450 institutions from home and abroad and over 1000 representatives to attend. It touches upon the whole industrial chain, including publicity, translation, legal affairs and education. Arrangements are also made for the domestic arts alliance in pursuit of cooperation with overseas organizations. The fair continues to carry out subsidies for "Going to the World" shortlisted programs, to invite foreign experts to establish professional, in-depth and operational workshops, and to set up various promotional activities and communication platforms for specialists from home and abroad.

(2) Forum: Lead "The Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals" and focus on sub-fields

The festival will hold 10 forums set in the development of "the Belt and Road" International Arts Festival, including the producer forum, the public culture forum, the drama forum and the opera forum. The festival also sets up a parent-child communication platform and explores frontier topics of art. 

The 19th China Shanghai International Arts Festival aims at bringing spiritual and cultural feasts to Shanghai citizens, and enabling them to relish fruitful achievements of cultural construction and development.