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EdUHK Holds International Symposium on the Transmission of Cantonese Opera and Traditional Music 2019

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) organised today (5 December) the International Symposium on the Transmission of Cantonese Opera and Traditional Music 2019 as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the University and the 10th anniversary of UNESCO’s inscription of Cantonese opera on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The symposium provided a platform for local and international scholars, researchers and practitioners to share their views on professional training, school education, local and community transmission, and international promotion of xiqu.

 

Supported by Cantonese Opera Development Fund, the two-day symposium was co-hosted by the Research Centre for Transmission of Cantonese Opera (RCTCO) and the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts at EdUHK, as well as the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Officiating at the opening ceremony were Dr Frankie Yeung Wai-shing, Chairman of the Xiqu Centre Advisory Panel; and Dr Thomas Tam Cheung-on, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) of Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences of EdUHK. Famous actors Mr Wang Zhiliang and Ms Lin Yingshi delivered a singing performance to highlight the ceremony.

 

Dr Tam said, “Cantonese opera is one of the most representative art forms in Chinese culture. By working closely with stakeholders in the industry and the education sector, EdUHK is devoted to innovating and enhancing the promotion and knowledge transfer of Cantonese opera culture, with a view to contributing to the development of arts education.”

Cantonese opera is one of the most representative art forms in Chinese culture.

Dr Thomas Tam Cheung-on

Professor Leung Bo-wah, Director of RCTCO, said the symposium has provided a platform for cultural and academic exchange and fostered cross-disciplinary discussion. He said he hoped that bringing together local and international experts in the field would facilitate the nurturing of new talent and transmission of this art form.

 

Among the speakers were Professor Jonathan Stock, from the University College Cork; Mr Li Chi-kei, Mr Yuen Siu-fai, Ms Wan Fai-yin and Ms Ni Huiying, acclaimed Cantonese opera heavyweights; Mr Fong Man-ching, local Cantonese opera playwright; Mr Sham Ping-wo, Cantonese opera scholar; and Professor Xie Jiaxing, Director of the Research Center of the China Conservatory of Music. Children's Cantonese Opera Troupes also performed in the event to demonstrate the importance of passing on the heritage of Cantonese opera to the next generation.

 

Established in 2018, EdUHK’s RCTCO is devoted to enhancing the promotion of Cantonese opera culture through conducting systematic research and utilising new technologies to provide a bridge between Cantonese Opera artists and local schools.

 

For more details about the event, please visit: 
www.eduhk.hk/rctco/view.php?secid=53063&u=u