20 January 2018
On the afternoon of 20 January, the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) held the 2018 Creation Working Meeting at the New Space Theatre. Mr Hu Jinjun, Deputy Director-General of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Mr Wu Xiaoming, Artistic Director of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, TV and Television, Mr Lou Wei, Chairman of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Professor Huang Changyong, Vice Chairman and President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, participated in the meeting, together with all members of the leadership and middle management teams of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Journalists from over 20 media organizations including the Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily, Jiefang Daily, Wenhui Daily and Shanghai TV Station. The meeting was chaired by Professor Huang Changyong, President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
(Meeting in progress)
At the meeting, Mr Lou Wei, Chairman of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, delivered a work report of the literary and artistic creation carried out by the Shanghai Theatre Academy. From 2013 to 2017, the Shanghai Theatre Academy had a total of six projects financially supported by the China National Arts Fund covering modern drama, dance drama, media communication and talent cultivation/training and 41 works financially support by the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation including 13 works in the category of major theme creation, adding to a total financial support of RMB13.3 million. In addition, during the five years, the Shanghai Theatre Academy received the recognitions and awards at the national and provincial/ministerial levels for 69 person/times (including 7 person/times for the "Five One Project" of the Department of Publicity of the CPC Central Committee, 11 person/times selected into the "National State Arts Excellent Projects", 8 person/times for the "Wenhua Award" of the Ministry of Culture, and 9 person/times for the Chinese theatre “Gold Lion Award”). All of the three works of modern drama (i.e. "Military Song", "Death of Ji Kang" and "Love & Sacrifice") submitted by the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2018 passed the preliminary selection of the China National Arts Fund. This also shows that the creation of main theme works has been fully affirmed by the State and the Shanghai Municipality, and has been fully recognized by all circles of the society. The Shanghai Theatre Academy was able to harvest fruitful results each year in the annual Shanghai New Productions (Small Productions) Selection and Showcase, with the dance drama "Red" and the opera "Our Shanghai" winning the Outstanding Works Award 2016 and 2017 respectively. The original drama "Children of the Country" won the 24th (2014) "Shanghai Magnolia Award for Theatre Performing Arts Collective Award" (i.e. the national "Five One Project Award"). The drama "Chinese Dream" won the Shanghai Literary and Art Creation Outstanding Single Achievement Award 2014, and won the “Special Production Award” at the 4th China Campus Theatre Festival. The drama "Don’t Worry" created and performed by the students won the titles of "Outstanding Showcase Production" and "Star of Campus Theatre" at the 5th China Campus Theatre Festival. "Hurricane", the graduation production of the students in 2017, was made the opening show of the Shanghai Jingan Theatre Valley and also participated in the 3rd China Original Play Showcase and the 5th Wuzhen Theatre Festival. The Shanghai Theatre Academy has closely adhered to its goals and objectives, and has upheld the concept of "mutual enhancement between plays and talents", and has explored and formed the guiding principles for creation work which are to "produce talents, works, ideas and models". Relying on the development of a "platform type university", the Shanghai Theatre Academy will continue to make new contributions regarding literary and artistic creation serving the "Belt and Road Initiative" and national strategies for cultural development.
Secondly, Mr Lou Wei introduced the development plans of the Shanghai Theatre Academy for the literary and artistic creation in the coming years. In the coming years, the creation work of the Shanghai Theatre Academy will be centered on and around the cultivation literary and artistic creation talents as the core and the improvement of the level of literary and artistic creation as the focus, and will highlight the main line of "literary and artistic creation serving the people". It is the responsibility and mission of the Shanghai Theatre Academy to always adhere to the principles of literary and artistic creation serving the people and serving the society.
At the meeting, Mr Pu Cunxin, Mr Meng Bing and Ms Wang Xiaoying were appointed as part-time professors of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Mr Lou Wei, Chairman of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, presented the letters of appointment to them. At the same time, the plaque presentation ceremony was held marking the establishment of seven expert studios of Pu Cunxin, Meng Bing, Wang Xiaoying, Luo Huaizhen, Tian Qinxin, Wei Haimin and Liu Qingyi. Professor Huang Changyong, President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, announced the establishment of the Shanghai Theatre Academy Youth Theatrical Troupe and the appointment of Tian Qinxin as its Artistic Director. As the representative of the appointed part-time professors, Meng Bing, who is Vice Chairman of the China Theatre Association, made a speech.
(Photos above: Lou Wei, Chairman of STA, presenting letters of appointment to part-time professors)
(Lou Wei, Chairman of STA, presenting letter of appointment to Tian Qinxin as Artistic Director of STA Youth Theatrical Troupe)
(Plaque presentation ceremony marking establishment of 7 expert studios)
(Meng Bing, Vice Chairman of China Theatre Association, giving a speech on behalf of newly appointed part-time professors)
Mr Hu Jinjun, Deputy Director-General of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, delivered a speech at the meeting, in which he fully affirmed the Shanghai Theatre Academy’s active exploration and gratifying results in literary and artistic creation in the past many years, and encouraged the Shanghai Theatre Academy to base on the broad platform offered by the City of Shanghai, to fully express the spirit of the City of Shanghai with excellent works and masterpieces, and to build up an innovative platform for the cultivation of young literary and artistic talents under the guidelines to “produce talents, works and masterpieces. He pointed out that the goals of the Shanghai Theatre Academy for future development are to become a domestically first-class and internationally renowned higher education institution of arts and to establish a stronger STA brand in the global cultural and artistic arena. Finally, he wished that the Shanghai Theater Academy would take the successful convening of this creation working meeting as the opportunity and make new and greater achievements in artistic creation and talent cultivation.
(Hu Jinjun, Deputy Director-General, Publicity Department of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, giving a speech)
