The 14th "Shanghai Summer School Chinese Opera Course" has begun at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in early summer.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Nie Wei, Vice President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, warmly welcomed students from 17 countries to STA and expressed high hopes for these cultural ambassadors. A student representative from New Zealand delivered a speech of gratitude and performed a traditional Maori war dance, showcasing New Zealand's unique cultural heritage.
The "Shanghai Summer School Chinese Opera Course," funded by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, has been held at STA since 2011.
The 2024 summer course has enrolled over 30 international students from 17 countries, including Switzerland, Hungary, the Republic of North Macedonia, Russia, Montenegro, France, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Iran, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
In recent years, the "Belt and Road Arts and Culture Talent Development" project has been held concurrently with the "Shanghai Summer School." This project aims to cultivate arts and culture talents with an international perspective and cross-cultural communication skills, promoting cultural exchange and cooperation among countries and regions along the Belt and Road. The courses mainly include Chinese opera performance and Chinese culture. Students can personally experience the four skills and five methods of Chinese opera performance, understand various aspects of traditional Chinese theatre, and participate in a series of cultural activities to experience local customs. At the end of the course, students will perform a makeup show, showcasing the charm of Peking Opera. During their studies, students will also participate in exchange courses between the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, further enriching and expanding their cultural and artistic horizons.
During this summer school, students had the opportunity to experience the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. STA organized for students to participate in activities featuring the festival's customs and experience this traditional Chinese holiday.
After completing the courses at the summer school, some students from previous years had chose to continue applying for various degree programs at the Shanghai Theatre Academy after completing the courses at the summer school, while others had published research articles and monographs on Chinese Peking Opera after returning to their home countries, reflecting remarkable outcomes of the project.
