On 13 November 2018, the 1st China Theatre Development Forum & the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony of China Theatre Development Research Center was successfully held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Under the guidance of the Department of Policies and Regulations of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, this event was co-sponsored by the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and was organized by the China Theatre Development Research Center.
More than 50 general managers of theatres and theatre chains, heads of art troupes, experts of theatre construction and architectural design, presidents of art universities and colleges, artists, heads of trade associations, government officials and media representatives from more than ten provinces and municipalities across China gathered for this event.
The establishment of China Theatre Development Research Center has filled the gap in the field of China theatre research. As the first non-profit think tank specializing in theatre management research in China, the China Theatre Development Research Center, under the guidance of the Department of Policies and Regulations of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is jointly established by the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Shanghai Theatre Academy. It is mainly devoted to the research, training and exchange in the filed of theatres and artistic performance groups in order to promote the high quality development of theatres and artistic performance groups nationwide.
The research center is located in the Shanghai Theater Academy as an academic research institute set up within the Shanghai Theater Academy. The centre sets up the research team according to the idea of "small institute and large platform". The director of the centre is Mr Chen Ping, the founding president of the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The organizational structure of the centre includes an expert advisory committee, a theoretical research office and an applied research office. The expert advisory committee is composed of an interdisciplinary team of experts.
On 13 November, at the press conference room of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mr Wang Ning, Vice Mayor of Beijing, Party Secretary and President of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, jointly unveiled the plaque of the China Theatre Development Research Center with Mr Chen Ping, the founding president of the National Centre for the Performing Arts and Director of the China Theatre Development Research Center.
On the same day, the first China Theatre Development Forum was also held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Guided by Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the forum focused on the theme of "New Era, Chinese Theatres, and New Achievements". The participating leaders and experts discussed the new ideas and new initiatives for the development of Chinese theatres in the new era on and around the three topics of "Theatre and Troupe", "Theatre and Stage" and "Persistent to be People-oriented".
