The National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei on Sunday launched “Taiwan Week,” promoting performances aimed at showing the world how Taiwanese live life amid ongoing geopolitical tensions surrounding the country, theater artistic and general director Liu Yi-ruu (劉怡汝) said.
The 19 performances reflect dimensions of people’s lives in Taiwan, offering people from abroad a different prism through which to see the country, which is often associated with geopolitical issues, Liu said.
Organizers and programmers of international arts events, who have been invited to Taiwan for the week-long showcase, have the opportunity to understand the cultural contexts of the performances and speak with the artists, she said.
Photo courtesy of the National Theater and Concert Hall via CNA
A total of 44 representatives of arts festival and program organizers from 14 countries are to attend Taiwan Week, including French Festival d’Avignon artistic program codirector Magda Bizarro.
The French festival plans to present more programs from Asia, which have been limited over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whale Island, which was presented in Yilan County yesterday, is a drama based on historical records of whales’ migration routes near southern Taiwan, producer Tsai Ching-fang (蔡菁芳) said, adding that she hopes it can resonate with the visitors.
Although it is based on Taiwan’s history, Tsai said foreign audiences can relate to the play, because it touches on global sea currents and other environmental issues.
Other performances to be presented this week include Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s Lunar Halo and Small Island Big Song Live, a concert described as “a music, film and live project uniting Austronesian artists of the Pacific and Indian Oceans,” the theater said.
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