13 April 2018
Speech by Bao Yingjing, Vice Mayor of Jingan Disrict People's Government
Speech by Huang Changyong, President of Shanghai Theatre Academy
Speech by Xi Meijuan, Vice Chairwoman, China Federation of Literary and Artistic Circles, and Artistic Committee Member of 2018 Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley
Speech by Meng Bing, Vice Chairman of China Theatre Association and Part-time Professor at Shanghai Theatre Academy
Speech by Zhang Jun, famours Kunqu artistic, national first class actor and alumnus of Shanghai Theatre Academy
Event launch by leaders of relevant parties
On the afternoon of 12 April, the 2018 Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley press conference was held in Jingan Sports Center. The 2018 Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley jointly created by the Jingan District People's Government of Shanghai, the Shanghai Radio and Television Station and the Shanghai Theater Academy will be held in Shanghai from 5 to 23 May. This year, the Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley will uphold the spirit of staying true to the original aspiration, inheriting the past and opening up the future to present classic and high-quality productions with internationalized vision and inclusive mind.
At the conference, Bao Yingjing, Vice Mayor of Jingan District People's government, Zhang Songhua, Associate Director of SMG Dragon TV Center, Huang Changyong, President of Shanghai Theater Academy, Xi Meijuan, Vice Chairwoman of China Federation of Literary and Artistic Circles and Artistic Committee Member of 2018 Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley, Meng Bing, Vice chairman of China Theatre Association, Li Xuan, President of Shaanxi People's Art Theatre, Chen Yitian, General Manager of Daning Theatre and Shanghai Zhongyan Culture and Art Co Ltd, Zhang Jun, famous Kunqu Opera artist and national first class actor, and other leaders and distinguished guests attended the press conference and delivered speeches. Representatives of more than 50 media organizations such as CCTV, Shanghai TV and Xinhua News Agency attended the meeting.
The 2018 Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley will adhere to its positioning achieve the integration of traditional classics and international vision and create a win-win situation for art and market. In the next month or so, its famous production showcase section will collaborate with the six major theaters in the district, i.e. the Majestic Theater, the STA Experimental Theatre, the Daning Theatre, the Shanghai Art Theatre, the Yunfeng Theatre and the Jing Theatre at Jingan District Culture Centre to stage 17 major productions of high-quality from home and abroad. Comparing with the previous year, the highlight of this year is that the level of the showcase productions is higher, the proportion of the premiere productions is obviously increased, and the international elements are more abundant. Among them, the three productions to be staged at the STA Experimental Theatre are "Cast Sword", "Big Fish" and "Flood".
On 22 May, the Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley will have heavyweight guest speakers such as Chairman of the Edinburgh Parliamentary Culture Committee, CEO of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, director from Lithuania regarded as a national treasure, and internationally renowned drama master from Japan to come together with Chinese experts, scholars and professionals of the relevant fields in the internal related fields at the New Space Theatre of the Shanghai Theater Academy for an international forum focusing on the relationship between “Drama and City" to discuss the multiple connections between drama and urban development and the vision to integrate dramatic art into urban development in line with the requirements to “build the capital of performing arts in Asia” set forth in the “50 Guidelines for Cultural and Creative Industries” of Shanghai.
At the press conference, Huang Changyong, President of Shanghai Theatre Academy, and the leaders of Jingan District People’ Government and SMG Dragon TV Centre officially launched the 2018 Shanghai Jingan Modern Drama Valley.
