NTCH Promotes Sustainable Development
NTCH Promotes Sustainable Development with “Taiwan Week Online 2021” and “Asia Connection: Producers Camp 2021”
During a spring media lunch in February, the Director of the National Theater & Concert Hall in Taiwan (NTCH), Liu Yiru, outlined the future development of NTCH and its strategic plan for network-building with local and international arts and cultural organisations. The plan called for a holistic engagement of partners for long-term and organic collaboration and put forward a three-phase strategy, encompassing the short-term “Taiwan Week”, a medium-term “Asia Connection: Producers Camp 2021”, and a long-term “Asia Focus”.
The Art Venue interviewed Kao Cho-pei, Head of International Development Sections of NTCH, and Shi Xinxuan, Deputy Artistic Director of NTCH. Shi, who has been with the team since its establishment in 2017, explained that NTCH has been leveraging its strong international network to help local productions explore touring opportunities. One example was the European tour of Cloud Gate Dance Theater’s 13 Voices last year. In the past, NTCH focused on supporting productions individually, but now with “Taiwan Week Online 2021” and “Asia Connection: Producers Camp 2021”, NTCH will work with overseas venues to develop co-productions and ongoing partnerships.
Taiwan Week is an annual event held during the last two weeks of the TIFA Taiwan International Arts Festival. This year, some 50 participants were to be invited, with two-thirds from Europe and the United States and one-third from Asia. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, NTCH can only launch an online version called “Taiwan Week Online 2021” in June. The event will showcase the originally planned presentations to an expected 200 participants comprising important Asian, European, American, and Australian theatres and curators. It will also introduce the creative concepts and works by Taiwanese artists and invite important curators to work together. Two public online forums will also be held on 23 and 24 June, featuring Didier Deschamps (Théâtre National de Chaillot), Alistair Spalding (Sadler’s Wells Theatre), and Nils Haarmann (Schaubühne Berlin) as panellists.
As for “Asia Connection: Producers Camp”, it was originally designed to be a platform for Asian producers. However, it has since been reformatted to serve as a forum for online networking and exchange. The Tokyo Art Theatre, Seoul National Theatre, and Singapore Esplanade have been confirmed to join as partner theatres. They are expected to create a number of co-productions by Asian artists. The NTCH and its partner theatres, such as Le phénix scène nationale Valenciennes, Théâtre National de Chaillot, Mercat de les Flors: Dancehouse, and Sadler’s Wells Theatre, are also exploring cooperation during the pandemic. In particular, London’s Sadler’s Wells is now set to become the first partner of “Asia Focus” in 2024.