Symposium held to share views on playwriting development, performance practice and culture of Cantonese opera

The Education University of Hong Kong organised the “Symposium for Hong Kong New Generations of Cantonese Opera Playwriting 2021” on 7 August 2021 to provide a platform for Cantonese opera artists, playwrights, practitioners and scholars to share and exchange their views on playwriting development, performance practice and the culture of Cantonese opera.

The symposium was supported by the Cantonese Opera Development Fund and co-hosted by FLASS’s Research Centre for Transmission of Cantonese Opera (RCTCO) and the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District, with support from Elmond’s Cantonese Xiqu Cultural Promotion and Production Workshop, and the Society of Cantonese Opera Study (Hong Kong). Officiating at the opening ceremony was Dr Frankie Yeung Wai-shing, Chairman of the Xiqu Centre Advisory Panel.

Professor Leung Bo-wah, Director of RCTCO and a professor at the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts, said, “RCTCO is committed to contributing to the development of Cantonese opera education and related research. This symposium brought together different stakeholders in the industry to explore the current situation of the new generation performers and playwrights in Hong Kong. It aimed to facilitate the discussion on Cantonese opera promotional strategies, as well as the sustainable development of this particular art form.”

Professor Leung is an award-winning professor of music for his research in incorporating Cantonese opera into formal music curricula. He received the prestigious Musical Rights Award from the International Music Council of UNESCO in 2011 as well as the Knowledge Transfer Award from EdUHK (the then Hong Kong Institute of Education) in 2012 for his leadership in a research project entitled “Collaborative Project on Teaching Cantonese Opera in Primary and Secondary Schools”.

Dr Yeung said, “One of the visions of the Xiqu Centre is to create a platform where local artists can interact and collaborate. I hope the symposium fosters cross-disciplinary discussion, promotes the transmission of this precious traditional culture to the community, and facilitates the nurturing of new talent.”

Among the speakers were Ms Naomi Chung, Head of Xiqu, Performing Arts of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; Mr Elmond Yeung Chi-sum, Cantonese opera playwright; Dr Tai Suk-yan, Cantonese opera scholar; and Cantonese opera artists Mr Keith Lai Yiu-wai and Ms Janet Wong.