The Taiwan Culture Festival will return to Hong Kong to present a series of dynamic, vibrant, and uniquely Taiwanese programs from Oct. 12 through Nov. 24.
Under the theme "Wonderful World, Colorful Taiwan,” the festival this year will showcase how Taiwanese arts thrive in a society built upon a platform of cultural diversity and the integration of tradition and innovation, noted Director Lolita Hu (胡晴舫) of the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Centre in Hong Kong.
The program will include traditional performing arts, contemporary dance, photography, theater, music, forums, and film screenings to offer insight on Taiwan's diverse art scenes.
The Contemporary Legend Theatre will stage its modern Peking opera adaptation of western classic "Waiting for Godot.” Presented by Wu Hsing-kuo (吳興國) and four other actors, the production incorporates theater with martial arts to interpret the western repertoire with black humor and absurdity.
"Taiwan Acoustic: A Night of Master Composers” will feature internationally renowned composer Chien Wen-pin (簡文彬) and the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra. They will present original works by four classic Taiwanese composers, including Kuo Chih-yuan (郭芝苑), Ma Shui-long (馬水龍), and Qian Nan-zhang (錢南章)
MeimageDance (何曉玫), a promising Taiwanese choreographer, will present her contemporary dance piece - "New Paradise of Silent Island (默島新樂園).” The production will explore Taiwan's diverse cultures and subcultures through a surrealistic approach.
"STAGE,” a series of photographic works featuring Taiwan's unique stage trucks created by Shen Chao-liang (沈昭良) from 2006 to 2014, will be showcased as part of an exhibition on Taiwan's subculture and street performances.
Sheng-Xiang & Band (生祥樂隊), an award-winning folk music band that integrates traditional Taiwanese with western contemporary music, will present works from its album "Village Besieged (圍庄),” which explores environmental protection issues. The band will also share a stage with Lenng Guo (郭達年), a notable figure from Hong Kong's indie music scene.
In collaboration with Hong Kong's outdoor program Freespace Happening (自由約), Beinan singer-songwriter Sangpuy (桑布伊) and Paiwan singer ABAO (阿爆) will sing about the land of Taiwan in their respective indigenous languages.
A collaborative theater production titled "Two Cities Chronicle (雙城紀失)” by Taiwanese playwright Hsu Cheng-ping (許正平) and playwright Cheung Fei Fan (張飛帆) from Hong Kong will offer the unique theater experience of "viewing Tainan from Hong Kong” and "viewing Hong Kong from Tainan. ”
To coincide with the 5th anniversary of Eslite bookstore in Hong Kong, a 24-hour "Sleepless in Eslite” program offering forums featuring Taiwanese and Hong Kong artists as well as midnight screenings will be held in the Eslite Causeway Bay Store on Nov. 10.
A film screening paying homage to the late filmmaker Chi Po-lin (齊柏林) will also showcase the Golden Horse Award-winning documentary "Beyond Beauty - Taiwan From Above (看見台灣),” and invite producer Tseng Chiung-yao (曾瓊瑤) and filmmaker Shen Ko-shang (沈可尚) to discuss Chi's concerns over the environment at a post-screening forum on Nov. 11.
More information on the 2017 Taiwan Culture Festival in Hong Kong can be found at the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Centre.
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