Since the headquarters of UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission is located in China, in the last year, UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission, together with China Puppetry...
Since the headquarters of UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission is located in China, in the last year, UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission, together with China Puppetry and Shadow Art Association, has got support from Chinese Cultural Administrations at various levels and organized series of activities in China and areas in Asia and Europe with the purposes of promoting cultural exchanges among puppetry and shadow art troupes from all over the world, enhancing the artistic influence and accelerating the development of puppetry and shadow art.
I. Establishing Exhibition and Performance Base, Organizing Large-scale Activities
1) By reaching agreement with Nanchong Municipal government, the “China (Nanchong) Asia-Pacific International Puppet and Shadow Exhibition and Performance Base” was established in Nanchong city. From then on, “China (Nanchong) International Puppetry Art Week” will be held every 3 years, and puppetry exchange seminars will be organized at irregular intervals.
2) From June 1st to 6th, the 1st China (Nanchong) International Puppetry Art Week was held in Nanchong. More than 60 officials and guests, and about 700 artists in 47 art troupes from over 20 countries participated. During this event, there were Opening Ceremony (Inauguration Ceremony of “China (Nanchong) Asia-Pacific International Puppet and Shadow Exhibition and Performance Base”), competition for exchange purpose, Carnival, exhibition and performance, art saloons, seminar, recommendation for world tours, and closing ceremony (award ceremony). Over 500 thousand audiences watched more than 120 performances. Some exchange projects of Chinese and foreign agencies have entered the phase of implementation.
3) Answering the call from UNIMA, UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission, UNIMA China and China Puppetry and Shadow Art Association jointly made the uniform logo and held the Exhibition and Performance activities for the Celebration of “World Puppetry Day”. On March 21st, Chinese performance groups invited audiences to the theatres and brought non-profit special performances to schools, communities and the outlying mountain areas.
4) 4) On the theme of “Bring Cultural Heritage to life”, in line with the “National Cultural Heritage Day” of Chinese government, and together with UNIMA China and China Puppetry and Shadow Art Association, various non-profit exhibition and performance, training and inheritance activities were held in many local theatres, squares, communities and schools.
II. Organizing Multilateral Cultural Exchange
1) Through constant effort, with the strategy of “to Invite and Visit”, Commission promoted various exchange activities between Jinjiang, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Taishan, Shanghai, Shaanxi, Hunan, Haining, and Sichuan, etc. in China area and Asia, European, American and African countries like Australia, Korea, New Zealand, Iran, Egypt, and France, etc. in the forms of performance, training and academic discussion, etc. These activities enhanced friendship and understanding and accelerated the communication and development of Oriental and Western Puppetry art.
2) Associated with UNIMA Professional Training Commission, UNIMA China and Shanghai Theatre Academy, “One Master, One Style” Excellent Young Puppeteers Overseas Internship & Performance Program was jointly presented as the implementation of the “Overseas Exchange and Internship Plan of China Excellent Young People”. It has been put into trial in senior students of Puppetry major. Argentina specialist Tito was invited to give lectures in Shanghai Theatre Academy, and to give speech on the “1st China (Yangzhou) International Puppetry Art Seminar”.
3) Actively organize multilateral cultural exchange and hold the Chinese and Foreign Masters’ Workshop in Shanghai Theatre Academy. Once a month, the “Serial Lectures of Puppetry and Shadow Specialists from Home and Abroad” was held in Shanghai Theatre Academy. Lectures have been given by specialists from France (Paper Puppetry), Japan (YUUKISAKU String Puppet), Argentina (the production of one-act puppetry play), Scotland (the “Dragon” crew of National Theatre), Hungary (Object Puppets Workshop), etc. Tito Lorefice, the president of UNIMA Professional Training Commission and Argentina specialist, also gave the key note speech on the “First China (Yangzhou) International Puppetry Artistic Seminar”.
4) Exploring new forms of cultural exchange, through the cooperation with UNIMA Professional Training Commission as well as with other National Centers on the creation and direct of new plays, a transnational exchange platform was provided for professionals. These artistic practices would accelerate the development of art and deepen international exchange and cooperation.
III. Projects of Rescuing Intangible Cultural Heritage
By identifying projects in urgent need of protection in Asia-Pacific region, from which selected to fund the preservation of the representative figures and troupes of 4 different Leather Shadow Puppet Traditions of Karnataka (South India) and the Wayang Beber, Wayang Gantungdan, Wayang Potehi form UNIMA Indonesia. These two projects were supported by UNIMA, and have been added as the UNIMA Funding Projects.
IV. Emphasized Documentation and Improved the Bilingual Website
1) In order to enhance the influence of the 21st UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival as well as document this grand international artistic event as a precious historic data for everyone, Commission headed the fund and publication of the Special Issue and Symposium. Through two years effort, they are finally printed and published, which will be given as gifts to representatives and troupes participated in the Festival. To make the books more authoritative and valuable as historic data, we applied ISSNs for them from the publishing authority. Any formal publication with ISSN shall show its price. But these books will be used as a gift only and won’t be published or sold in public.
2) With the purpose of make the exhibition and performance news and various distinct puppetry and shadow art of each country and region familiar to more artists and the populace through the Internet, Commission hired professional company to accelerate and update the website of UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission. The adapted website will have both Chinese and English version in different style. The website is going to bring convenience for everyone to post information, search material and communicate with each other.
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