2013-11-18 Page 13 Journalist: Jiang Hongbing
This year’s Art Festival is a brand new section in Shanghai International Art Festival, and it is also a true art carnival rarely seen in Chinese art festivals: In all 8 days, more than 200 performances, 31 workshops and lectures, 30 visual art exhibitions and 64 micro-films are arranged; it collects a bunch of creational performances from excellent young artists whose talent are just emerging, all teachers and students from STA, and more teachers and students of the art colleges from all over China; celebrities like Tan Dun and Lin Zhaohua, etc, would brandish the flag for the young; beautiful campus of STA, scattered many elegant old buildings and artistic and advanced atmosphere, hosts open lectures everywhere, from the theatre, exhibition hall, rehearsal stage to the square and lawn outside. There are artistic performances and creational exhibitions everywhere, and there are young faces and crowds talking to each other excitingly and joyfully everywhere.
Shanghai International Art Festival defines itself as “Great Exhibition for Art, Joyful Festival for People”. Looking back the 15 years since the first art festival in 1999, we can see it clearly that every step is for the exploring, growing and climbing according to this creed. At first the level of the foreign art group are not equal, and maybe only a few shows are on the stage, but now there are so many famous groups and celebrities bringing both classical and creational works. Some of the performances are specially designed for the art festival. At first the performances mainly stayed in the theatre, but now there are folk art from home and abroad and performance by ordinary people from street to ally. At first, the festival tried to expand market share for local theatre group, but now the festival is setting stage for masterpieces and new works created by the theatre groups from all over the country. More communication opportunities are provided. At first, the festival is trying to pursue luxury and classic, but now the festival prefers more original works and lay emphasis on the benefit for ordinary people. The festival will leave plenty tickets for public welfare and invite more ordinary people to enjoy cultural prosperity.
