On 19 April, adhering to the principles of "resource sharing, complementary advantages, and mutual development," the Pudong New Area Federation of Trade Unions and the Shanghai Theatre Academy held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony, marking the official establishment of a partnership between U12 Theater and the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

At the signing ceremony, Shan Shaojun, Deputy Party Secretary of the Pudong New Area, warmly congratulated on the signing of the cooperation agreement on behalf of the Pudong New Area. He expressed the belief that this cooperation would strongly promote Shanghai Theatre Academy's broader and deeper involvement in the development of Pudong's cultural affairs and contribute to the construction of Pudong as the core bearing area of an international cultural metropolis with socialist characteristics.

Xie Wei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, stated that this strategic cooperation is another "strong collaboration" between Shanghai Theatre Academy and Pudong. Since last year, the Shanghai Theatre Academy has utilized its abundant educational resources to establish high-level workers' drama troupe, dance troupe and choir for Pudong. With this strategic cooperation, the Pudong New Area Federation of Trade Unions and the Shanghai Theatre Academy will pinpoint the integration of workers' cultural construction and higher art education institution’s teaching practices, constructing a platform for building a backbone team for workers' art and cultivating artistic talents.

Huang Changyong, Deputy Party Secretary and President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Ni Qian, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Pudong New Area People's Congress, Party Group Secretary and Chairman of the Pudong New Area Federation of Trade Unions, jointly signed the "Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Pudong New Area Federation of Trade Unions and Shanghai Theatre Academy."

A highlight of this strategic cooperation between the Pudong New Area Federation of Trade Unions and the Shanghai Theatre Academy is the operation and management of U12 Theater.

U12 Theater was formerly the Workers' Theater of the Pudong New Area Workers' Cultural Palace.

In March this year, the teacher-student team from the Art Management major at the College of Creative Studies of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, led by Professor Huang Yunjin, took over the operation and management of the theater. Over the course of more than a month, the Shanghai Theatre Academy's team, alongside the Cultural Palace, endowed the theater with a new name, designed a LOGO, developed a complete daily operation plan and performance season proposal, and added the "Guochao Society" centered on traditional Chinese opera and puppetry to attract young fans as well as aficionados of traditional Chinese opera and Quyi.

On the same day, leaders from the Pudong New Area and the Shanghai Theatre Academy also jointly launched the opening performance season of U12 Theater.

The theme of U12 Theater's opening performance season is "Sprout." "Sprout," as a character full of vitality, represents a new beginning and hope.

The four-dimensional holographic concert "Walking with the City·New Melody of Water Mill," brought by the team of Zhang Jun, the principal of the Shanghai Theatre Academy's affiliated Chinese Opera School, kicked off the opening performance season of U12 Theater. From April to June 2024, U12 Theater will present 12 productions with a total of 22 performances.

In line with the spirit of the strategic cooperation agreement, U12 Theater will be planned and operated by the teacher-student team of the College of Creative Studies of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. It will present a variety of performance projects including dramas, musicals, traditional operas, dance, films, multimedia art, and will also conduct activities such as master classes, workshops and markets that combine aesthetic education with science popularization. The opening of U12 Theater is an important step in the industry-education integration of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and also a highlight in the cultural development of the Pudong New Area.

Ding Wei, Member of the Party Group and Vice-Chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, Zhang Weiling, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and Chairman of the Trade Union at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Liu Qing, Vice President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Peng Weifen, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Pudong New Area Committee, Mao Lixiong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Pudong New Area Committee for Education Work, along with responsible persons from the relevant offices of the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, the Pudong New District and the Shanghai Theatre Academy attended the signing ceremony.

About U12

U12 Theater serves as the Shanghai Theatre Academy Practice Base for Industry-Education Integration and the Shanghai Theatre Academy-Pudong Workers Cultural Palace Internship and Practice Base for College Students, which is operated and managed by the Shanghai Theatre Academy under the commission of the Pudong New Area Federation of Trade Unions.

The name U12 Theater originates from the English word "Union" for trade union; it also represents the society establishing "Unity" through culture, as well as the "Uniqueness" of art. The number "12" is derived from the theater's address at 12 Jufeng Road, which also resembles the Chinese character for "work," symbolizing the broad community of workers as a core group. The U-shaped emblem, resembling a smile, symbolizes friendliness and happiness. Additionally, the U is a window for opening up that will face the future with an unlimited attitude.

U12 Theater is planned and operated by the team of teachers and students from the College of Creative Studies of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, striving to provide more convenient and richer artistic enjoyment for the vast number of workers in Pudong. At the same time, it offers a growth platform for young artists in Shanghai and actively provides students from various universities in Pudong with experiences in theatrical arts.

U12 Theater is striving to become a vibrant urban cultural and artistic space that belongs to "You", embodying the "Youth and Vitality" of the city. Here, throughout the year and every month, there are weekly performances and monthly new arts. This approach connects art closely with life, allowing the vast number of workers to experience the vitality and charm of the city while enjoying the arts.