On June 23rd, 2019, the three-day Beijing Forum for Performing Arts 2019 came to a successful conclusion at the NCPA. With the theme, "Exchange and Cooperation for Experience Sharing and Win-Win Outcomes", the Forum was attended by more than 200 representatives from nearly 90 art institutions from more than 20 countries and regions across five continents.

The forum has been highly valued and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee and Beijing Municipality Government. CAI Qi, Member of Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC, and Secretary of CPC Beijing Municipal Committee met with foreign guests and congratulated the forum on its opening. ZHANG Xu, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and WANG Hong, Deputy Mayor of Beijing attended and addressed the opening ceremony.

The Forum was attended by more than 200 representatives from nearly 90 art institutions from more than 20 countries and regions across five continents.

In the era of economic globalization and cultural diversity, it is essential for theatres, the important carrier of cultural development, to strengthen exchanges, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation. And in order to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between different theatres, the NCPA suggested that all arts institutions should promote information sharing, comprehensively deepen exchanges and cooperation and work to establish a regular consultation mechanism. It is proposed that global theatres share opportunities to jointly build a community of shared future for the sustainable development of theatres worldwide and make greater contributions to the progress of human civilization.

ZHAO Jiachen, Deputy Secretary of the CPC NCPA Committee, Vice President of the NCPA

During the forum, about 50 guests from Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House, Opéra National de Paris, Carnegie Hall, Stiftung Oper Berlin, and Wiener Staatsoper and other art institutions at home and abroad delivered keynote speeches on "new concept of theater operation and management", "art education and audience cultivation" and "future road of art creation and production" and other common practical problems facing theatres.

Through in-depth discussions, participants reached a broad consensus. On the front of theatre exchanges, as an important carrier of civilization development, theatres should continue to play the role of art-leading and continue to make contributions in the historical process of advancing human progress. Different theatres should strengthen their connectivity and build deep, normative and regular communication mechanisms. In terms of artistic production, stage presentation is the core foundation for the existence of theatres, and the fundamental driving force for sustainable development of theatres is to maintain the high quality of plays and pursue artistic innovations. In terms of audience cultivation, theatres should make full use of the opportunities brought by digital technology, bring forth new ideas in the forms of artistic production and dissemination through high-tech means, and attach greater importance to attract and cultivate young audiences.

The three-day Beijing Forum for Performing Arts 2019 came to a successful conclusion at the NCPA.

During the forum, the NCPA conducted in-depth discussions with theatre peers from at home and abroad, held 45 bilateral meetings, signed five strategic cooperation agreements, and reached 19 specific cooperation intentions on a series of contents including joint production of plays, performance exchanges, art popularization and talent cultivation.

The Seoul Arts Center has invited the NCPA to tour its original opera The Long March in Seoul. Lebanon's Caracalla Dance Theatre has also invited the NCPA to participate in local dance festivals and other activities.

Cormac Simms, Administrative Director, the Royal Opera of Royal Opera House

Cormac Simms, Administrative Director, the Royal Opera of Royal Opera House, said at the closing ceremony, “We have much to learn from each other, and we must use all the tools at our disposal, not only creating outstanding art, but to respect our traditions and whilst at the same time, promoting cultural diversity. This forum, with so many international colleagues present, have provided us a new platform to consider, and debate many and wide range issues facing performing arts across the world today. It’s hugely important that we respect each other, that we share information and ideas and that we learn from each other wherever country we are in. We must keep moving, deepen our cooperation and respond to the spirit of the times.”

Meanwhile, the art institutions also conducted extensive exchanges, which laid out a good foundation and created favourable conditions for theatres to deepen cooperation, mutual learning and common development in the future.

NCPA President WANG Ning signed the strategic partnership momentum with Yvonne Tham, CEO of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The arts institutions spoke highly of the various forms of exchanges among theatres and their achievements together over the years, and called for maintaining the connection, mutual trust, mutual assistance and mutual benefit among art institutions. While supporting the cooperation among state-to-state and government-to-government institutions, the arts institutions will carry out non-governmental and regional institutional exchanges and build multi-level platforms for artistic exchanges and cooperation.

The art institutions present praised the useful exploration and achievements made by various institutions in operation and management, artistic creation, artistic popularization, talent training and audience cultivation. And, the joint efforts to promote the mutually beneficial cooperation on fields such as operating experience sharing, joint production of plays, equivalent swap performances, and collaborative personnel training have been advocated.

The art institutions commended the unremitting efforts and positive contributions made by various institutions in inheriting, presenting and promoting the excellent culture and art of various countries, ethnic groups and regions, and called for encouraging the development of excellent performing arts with national and regional characteristics, and promoting the diversified development of culture.

The art institutions endorsed the exploration, innovation and achievements made by the institutions on the basis of globalization and utilization of high-tech achievements, advocated to make full full use of the achievements of scientific and technological innovations, and developed international cooperation among institutions on internet technology, high-definition imaging technology and other fields.

Representatives of the arts institutions unanimously endorsed the establishment of the exchanges and cooperation mechanism of Beijing Forum for Performing Arts initiated by the NCPA, and world theatre alliance to promote in-depth, normative and regular exchanges among various institutions.

This forum coincides with the 10th round of NCPA Opera Turandot. Dozens of representatives from theatres and art institutions around the world watched this work and gave high acclaim to it. And during the forum, the NCPA also released its first vinyl recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, which recorded Beethoven's classical works contributed by the China NCPA Orchestra and China NCPA Chorus under the baton of NCPA’s Music Director LÜ Jia.

by NCPA