In 2024, the International Exchange Centre of the Shanghai Theatre Academy meticulously planned and successfully hosted the Shanghai Summer School Chinese Opera Course and the "Belt and Road Artistic and Cultural Talent Training" program. This year’s course attracted enthusiastic participation of 30 students from 17 countries around the world, including, the United Kingdom, Hungary, North Macedonia, Russia, Montenegro, Brazil, Colombia, France, Turkey, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Iran and New Zealand.
During the three-week short-term course, students deeply explored the splendid charm of Chinese opera, profoundly experienced the richness of Chinese culture, and fully appreciated the unique allure of Shanghai, an international metropolis. Upon completion, the students not only received graduation certificates jointly issued by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and the Shanghai Theatre Academy but also left with a wealth of insights and reflections.
The course content was rich and diverse, including solid foundational training in the "Four Skills and Five Methods" of Peking Opera, lively learning of Chinese opera excerpts, in-depth appreciation and analysis of history, music and stage design of Peking Opera, as well as exciting workshops on Tai Chi and the Tao Te Ching and Chinese folk music performance. In terms of theoretical learning, students were also exposed to various fields such as Chinese culture, comparative studies of Eastern and Western performances, Sino-foreign cultural exchanges and classical Chinese novels. Additionally, through cultural experience activities, students visited the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Great World and Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, made sachets for the Dragon Boat Festival, and watched the live-action Kunqu Opera "The Peony Pavilion" in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town.
Furthermore, to enhance interaction and exchange with the faculty and students of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the students went into classrooms where they observed live teaching sessions, and went to theaters to enjoy the puppet show "A Chameleon" and the musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". These activities not only gave the students a deeper understanding of Chinese opera but also provided them with a more direct experience of the cultural heritage and humanistic spirit of Shanghai.
This project not only offered the participants a valuable opportunity to delve deeply into Chinese opera but also gave them a more comprehensive and profound understanding of China and Shanghai. The participants expressed their gratitude for the Shanghai Summer School program and the excellent platform provided by the school. This experience allowed them to deeply feel the hospitality of the Chinese people, the meticulous urban planning, and the harmonious and stable social environment. Additionally, this study experience sparked their strong interest in Chinese culture, traditional Chinese opera, and even Asian theatre. The students look forward to returning to China and Shanghai in the future for further studies.
