[Benefits and Powers] Six Suggestions on Three Goals for Revitalizing Hong Kong Cantonese Opera

There are three goals for revitalizing Cantonese opera: first, to create a larger audience through education; second, to cultivate talents in Cantonese opera creation, performance and management through professional and systematic training; third, to promote innovation in the Cantonese opera industry and create more Multiple economic and social resources.

Cultivating audiences needs to start with basic education. The first suggestion is that Chinese subjects in primary and secondary schools should introduce teaching materials related to Cantonese opera, such as teaching Tang Disheng's plays, through which they can learn Tang poetry and Song poetry.

In addition, Nanyin appreciation of Cantonese opera should be taught in the Chinese department, and a special Cantonese opera subject should be set up in the senior high school curriculum, so that middle school students can choose to learn, Chinese literature needs to learn Cantonese opera texts, just like English literature learning Shakespeare.

The second suggestion is to train teachers. The University of Education and other teacher training courses should introduce the content of teaching Chinese through Cantonese opera, and train teachers who can understand Cantonese opera. Only teachers can have teaching materials and can implement them.

In terms of teaching materials, there are actually many Hong Kong scholars and experts since the handover, such as Dr. Chen Shou-yan's research on Cantonese opera and Professor Rong Hongzeng's research on Nanyin and Cantonese opera texts, all of which can be converted into teaching materials. Cantonese opera scholars and experts should organize education and learn Cantonese opera appreciation.

At the end of last year, Wang Mingquan and Luo Jiaying performed the Cantonese opera "Heroes and Treason" at the West Kowloon Xiqu Centre for eight consecutive days.

(IG: @wang_liza)

In order to achieve the goal of cultivating talents, it is necessary to start from the Eight Harmony Club.

Pak Wo Club is the oldest professional Cantonese opera group in Hong Kong.

The third proposal is that the Hong Kong SAR Government provide land, funds and administrative assistance to build the Pak Wo Association Headquarters and Cantonese Opera Centre, which can house a theatre, and provide learning and rehearsal spaces for performances and Cantonese opera teaching.

To preserve the traditional spirit through modern management, the most practical thing is to allow the Eight He Guild Hall to develop in this space.

You can refer to the positioning of Japan's Kabuki and National Kabuki Theater. There are large-scale performances, small excerpts, Nanyin teahouses, and so on.

It is possible to consider building an additional headquarters of Bahe Guild Hall next to the West Kowloon Xiqu Centre.

The fourth suggestion is to comprehensively upgrade the existing Xiqu Academy of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and build a national-level Xiqu Academy platform that connects with the national-level Chinese Academy of Chinese Opera. It can introduce different teaching methods of Chinese opera in the Mainland, and can also combine the resources of Chinese music and opera in Hong Kong. For example, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, such as many different local operas in Hong Kong.

The biggest problem in promoting the industrialization of Cantonese opera is venues. The fifth proposal is to set up four to six different venues for Cantonese opera performances in the central area of ​​Kowloon and New Territories in Hong Kong to facilitate the elderly.

The Shin Kong Theater is a reference, compared to the Ko Shan Theater is too remote and the Xiqu Center has too many elevators.

The government should consider acquiring the Shin Kong Theatre or leasing it on a long-term basis to become a center for performing Cantonese opera. It should also provide some venues below the LCSD to Cantonese opera groups so that they can have more performance opportunities. It should also build a theatre with about 1,500 seats. , making it a national Cantonese opera performance venue.

To achieve industrialization, it is also necessary to encourage the establishment of opera performance venues in shopping malls in real estate projects, such as the redevelopment projects of the URA; large-scale plans such as Yau Tsim Mong redevelopment or new town development.

You can learn from Japan in this regard.

Opera Center.

(file picture)

The sixth suggestion: The industry needs financing, and financing needs the cooperation of the government in financial policies.

The HKMA should encourage banks and other financial institutions to provide financial support so that Cantonese opera troupes or Cantonese opera troupes can invest in the Cantonese opera industry through financing rather than funding.

On the one hand, this move can increase the source of Cantonese opera's fundraising, and it can also really improve economic efficiency and promote industrialization.

The above three goals and six suggestions are all result-oriented. The final result is to make Hong Kong Cantonese opera have a more sound development ecology, with talents, space, funds and audiences.

With these four elements, Cantonese opera can be revitalized, attract new audiences and drive new development.

In fact, Mirror can also cooperate with A-Jie Wang and Ba Wo Club to create a Cantonese opera that combines the new generation with tradition.

In the past, Liang Xingbo, Bai Xuexian, and Ren Jianhui all made commercial movies while doing big plays. Why can't today's pop singers learn from Wang Mingquan's spirit and learn from Cantonese opera to enrich themselves, which not only enriches the soft power of performing arts, but also can bring the audience to the audience. Come new surprises and fun.

Hu Enwei

is a member of the National Hong Kong and Macao Research Association, a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Political Consultative Conference, and Zuni.

Icosahedron United Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer