Chinese Name: 逆風劇團
Established: 2015
Location: Taipei City
Did You Know?
Against The Wind Theatre is primarily concerned with “youth with special circumstances.” Through theatrical performances and charitable activities, they provide these young people with diverse, comprehensive, and long-term support and assistance. Against The Wind Theatre strives to fill the gaps in the social safety net, taking on more disadvantaged youth and guiding them out of difficult situations and onto the right path, ultimately providing a positive impact on society.
When he was just 18 years old, founder Cheng Wei-sheng (成瑋盛) and his friends Chen Wei-chih (陳韋志) and Chiu Yi-chun (邱奕醇) received their first funding to start a theatre group through the Fubon Cultural & Educational Foundation (富邦文教基金會)’s Young Voice platform. Fast forward to 2015, and Against The Wind Theatre became the first theater group in Taiwan made up entirely of delinquent school dropouts.
Against The Wind Theatre was founded by Cheng Wei-sheng, who was inspired by his difficult experiences in school. He faced many setbacks and became increasingly resistant to studying. During his time in junior high, he befriended a group of peers who also didn’t enjoy studying, and they began to go off the rails. When he moved on to high school, his friends experienced various tragedies, with some being sent to juvenile detention centers and others ending their own lives. These events caused him to reflect on the value of life.
When he was a senior high school freshman, Cheng Wei-sheng was moved by a line from the drama club’s recruitment pitch: “If you want to make a change, if you want to achieve your dreams, you’re welcome to join us. We can help you make it happen.” Inspired, he decided to join the club. Cheng believes that theater can create positive experiences, and he hopes to share the excitement he felt when he first stepped onto the stage at 17 with more young people who are in similar situations.
During his sophomore year, Cheng took a year off and joined the Kite Project launched by the Youth Performing Arts Alliance, where he filmed a documentary about teenagers in a foster institution. This experience inspired him to document these stories and combine them with theater. After returning to school, he prepared for college entrance exams while also writing a business plan for the founding of Against The Wind Theatre.
Against The Wind Theatre was founded during a time when they had no venue and no funding. Members would hold meetings on the streets, and their rehearsal stages were under bridges, in underground tunnels, parks, and even on school command centers. According to Cheng Wei-Sheng, the biggest challenge during this period was not the lack of resources, but rather how to support these special young people who were facing negative emotions and trauma.
In 2019, Against The Wind Theatre was gradually stabilizing, but lacked the resources to develop further. So, they started with community building and planned many public services for children to participate in. They even helped create a gang of do-gooders for kids who love to fight, inspiring them to put down their weapons and pick up brooms to clean up the community. They also formed a team of kids who used to love racing cars, and now they deliver supplies to elderly people who live alone and keep them company. By connecting with the community emotionally, they were able to turn society’s negative impression of these young people around.
Against The Wind Theatre also promotes “interventional educational art,” using drama as a medium to attract young people. In 2019, the team led teenagers to learn about performance and script creation through their Diverse Art Training Program. Finally, they performed their own life stories in the annual large-scale stage play. In addition, they developed a seed teacher training program to cultivate partners from major universities to become empathetic companions for young people.
Against The Wind Theatre has continued its long-standing commitment to diverse education by creating the Performance Arts Academy, the Experiential Education Academy, and the Workplace Skills Academy. Their goal is to provide tailored education and practical application, allowing young people of all backgrounds to discover their interests and values along the way.
In 2022, the Ministry of Culture held the first Community Building Awards, and Against The Wind Theatre won the Youth Action Award in the Group category for using drama to help special young people turn their lives around. In the future, Cheng Wei-sheng hopes that Against The Wind Theatre can become an advocacy platform for all marginalized groups in society. “Children and youth in adversity don’t need to be helped, they need to be nurtured,” he believes. Against The Wind Theatre is a starting platform to help special young people have a positive influence on society. Through their stage performances, they bring to light stories that society has ignored and donate ticket sales to charity organizations, turning the obstacles that young people have faced into solutions for social problems.