9 December 2014
On 6 December 2014, co-founded by a number of Cao Yu studies and memorial centres in the five cities of Shanghai, Tianjin, Qianjiang, Chongqing and Jiang’an, the Cao Yu Theatre and Culture Studies and Exchange Consortium (“Cao Consortium”) was established at the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA). Mr Lou Wei, Party Secretary of STA, Mr Guo Yu, Vice President of STA, and Mr Geng Faqi, Party Secretary of Haihe Office of Tianjin Municipality attended the meeting. The event was organized by STA Library, with invited participants from Qianjiang Cao Yu Memorial Centre, Tianjin Cao Yu Memorial Centre, Cao Yu Studies Centre of Nankai University’s School of Humanities etc. Prof Wang Bonan, Curator of STA Library and Prof Cao Shujun, Vice President of Cao Yu Studies Society gave speeches at the meeting.
Cao Yu is fully deserved as the greatest playwright in the history of Chinese modern drama. The establishment of the Cao Consortium marks the official establishment of a cross-regional (i.e. five cities) and cross-sectoral (universities, cultural entities and performance companies) non-governmental academic group with the objectives of carrying forward the artistic accomplishments of Cao Yu. This organization will integrates exhibition with culture, creation with performance, publication with journal and art education with academic studies. It will vigorously carry forward the artistic accomplishments of Cao Yu as well as the indigenous cultural treasures created by the Chinese people through the combined efforts in the performance, research and cultural exhibition-based popularization of Cao Yu’s works. No doubt, it will be beneficial to our endeavors to create theatrical works of high quality and create the culmination of the art in the new era, as well as contribute positively to the better development and greater prosperity of culture and art in our country.
It is learnt that the Cao Consortium will launch a journal called Cao Yu Studies Forum and develop it from an irregular journal initially to a regular journal. The editorial board of the journal will be formed through consultation among the representatives of the five cities. The first edition of the journal will be published in April 2015. After that, one edition of this academic journal on Cao Yu studies will be published after each round of activities, thus creating the conditions for cultural exchange with such countries as UK, USA and Russia in the areas of performance, research and cultural exhibitions.
