In an effort to promote Taiwan's national languages, National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA, 傳藝中心) is hosting the inaugural "kua-á-siōng-tshenn: 2023 Taiwanese Opera Competition." There will be three parts to the competition, after an online preliminary round, the selected participants will proceed to regional semi-finals and then finals. The total prize money of NT$3.5 million will be divided between three groups: youth, amateurs, and professionals.
At the press conference, NCFTA Director Chen Yue-yi (陳悅宜) said Taiwanese opera embraces both tradition and modernity and preserves its unique characteristics while keeping up with the times. With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the goal of the competition is to promote the revitalization and advancement of all national languages and pass down Taiwanese opera from generation to generation.
Culture Minister Shih Che expressed support and stated that Taiwanese opera is a performing art rooted in the life and culture of Taiwan. As Taiwanese opera has developed from tradition to innovation, Minister Shih hoped that through the event, Taiwanese opera would become a popular form of entertainment.
According to the convener of judges Lin Mao-hsien (林茂賢), who drafted the competition's rules, Taiwanese opera is a combination of literature, music, dance, and many other folk arts, and it best represents common culture. Lin urged the public to join in the competition because he hopes that through the competition, more people can develop a connection with Taiwanese opera. There are many other awards that will be presented at the competition including the most popular performer, most creative performer, as well as a jury prize, Lin added.
Individuals who are interested can sign up for the competition from March 6 to April 30. Participants are required to prepare a 60-90 second video of them performing a Taiwanese opera piece and submit the video online to complete the registration.