5 July 2014
In the evening of 5 July, the 20th Performance Studies International Conference (PSi 20) was formally opened at the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA). Maaike Bleeker, President of PSi, Tobias Biancone, Director-General of UNESCO ITI, Li Ruiyang, Deputy Director-General of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Deng Xiaodong, Vice Mayor of Jing’an District attended the opening ceremony and made speeches. The key attendants from STA included Lou Wei, Chairman of STA, Han Sheng, President of STA, Gong Baorong, Vice President of STA, Guo Yu, Vice President of STA and William Sun, Professor of Performance Studies. Chairman Lou Wei delivered the welcoming speech on behalf of STA. The opening ceremony was chaired by President Han Sheng.
Having been hosted by the University of Leeds in UK and Stanford University in the US, this was the first PSi conference hosted by a university in Asia and as such the opening and successful holding of this conference in Shanghai would afford the performance studies as a discipline with new connotation and new significance. This conference brought together several hundred domestic and international experts and practitioners in the areas of art, sociology, anthropology, education and management. Focusing on the theme of “Pioneer, Tradition and Community”, there would be over 100 presentations of thesis, workshops, academic dialogues and theme performances.
During the opening ceremony, the participants watched the modern dance “My Land” conducted by Dong Jie, a young choreographer. The dancers' excellent performance gave rise to rounds of warm applause from the audience.
Speech by Maaike Bleeker, President of Performance Studies International
Speech by Tobias Biancone, Director-General of UNESCO ITI
Speech by Lou Wei, Chairman of STA
A happy gathering of domestic and international participants
Group photo of conference participants
