Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 34th Macao Arts Festival was inaugurated today (3 May). Themed “Wondrous Encounters”, this edition of the Festival features 19 fantastic and novel programmes covering theatre, Chinese opera, dance, circus, music and visual arts, inviting the public to discover and embrace the arts and embark on an intriguing artistic journey together.
The opening ceremony was held at 7:40pm in the lobby of the Macao Cultural Centre, and was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ao Ieong U; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yan Zhichan; the Acting Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Sun Xiangyang; the Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ho Ioc San; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Leong Wai Man; the Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office of the Macao SAR Government, Cheng Wai Tong; the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Lo Song Man; the Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors and General Manager of Air Macau Company Limited, Zhu Paibo; and the President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, Kenneth Feng; and was attended by the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yin Rutao; and the Adviser of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Lo Hou Chi.
The Grand Opening: Jungle Book reimagined, adapted from the classic The Jungle Book by the Literature Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling and produced by legendary British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan and his stellar team, tells the story of the adventure of a child who was separated from his family after their city faced a catastrophe and turned into a jungle, leading the public to reflect upon the importance of harmony between man and nature. This dance theatre production will be presented again tomorrow (4 May) evening at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium.
In addition, various performances will be staged on the days around Mother’s Day, and therefore IC has specially launched the “Mother’s Day Limited Time Offer” providing 30% discount on tickets for any performances of Frankenstein/Creatures, A Star is Arriving, and the New Cantonese Opera “Under the Pagoda Tree” from today until 5 May. Frankenstein/Creatures, an adaptation presented by local troupe Space for Acting in collaboration with the Japan-based company Theatre Moments, will offer a time-traversing vision of the past, present and future at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. Patuá theatre, a national intangible cultural heritage item, will be presented at the Festival this year through the witty and hilarious production A Star is Arriving, showcasing Macao’s nature as a multi-cultural city. In the New Cantonese Opera “Under the Pagoda Tree” by the Zhen Hua Sing Cantonese Opera Association, renowned performer Chu Chan Wa and a number of outstanding local actors will showcase their expertise to render the immortal love story of utmost sincerity and soul-stirring beauty with a combination of modern stage technologies, thus exploring the ongoing reinvention of cultural heritage and stage arts. The above three programmes will be presented on 11 and 12 May, and the public is advised to purchase the tickets as soon as possible.
During the Mother’s Day weekend, The Little Book by Baj Theatre from Poland will also be presented. This book without letters or words offers a wondrous colourful world with numerous intriguing secrets, and an array of ingenious sound and visual effects on stage that are set to evoke the boundless imagination and inspire the artistic side of children aged between 6 months and 3 years. This performance will be held from 10 to 12 May in a total of nine sessions.
For more information about the programmes, ticket purchases and other discounts, please visit the Macao Arts Festival’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/fam), follow the respective page on Facebook (search “Macao Arts Festival”), or follow IC’s official WeChat account (IC_Art_Macao). Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Online ticket reservation is available at www.macauticket.com.
