WHAT
Research area: 戏曲-Xi Qu
“Xi Qu” is a unique term for traditional Chinese opera, dating back to the Qin Dynasty. It originated from primitive song and dance and is a comprehensive stage art style with a long history. In brief, traditional Chinese opera is an intangible cultural heritage of China.
Precise question:
How can I incorporate elements of Chinese opera into daily life so that traditional culture can be passed on and at the same time make daily life more interesting?
Main Stakeholders:
Youth and Chinese Opera artists
WHY
Personal Reasons:
- When I was in primary school my grandmother always took me to the little theatre to watch Cantonese opera puppet shows (a Chinese opera genre), which had gradually disappeared by the time I was in high school.
- During my studies in England, I went to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and was amazed to find centuries-old theatre types always being sold out.
Social Reasons:
- Chinese opera is China’s national treasure and is a very important part of traditional Chinese culture.
- The process of forming Chinese opera is a synthesis of various artistic disciplines.
- Nowadays young people have become distant from this traditional valuable culture.
HOW
Identify Problems (Until 16 May)
Through reading literature and interviewing parents of children, I found that the government has introduced policies for the preservation of Chinese opera. But why does it still not spread well to young audiences?
Research Problems (Until 20 June)
Through interviews with experts, I have now concluded the following reasons.
- The stories of traditional Chinese opera have not kept pace with the times.
- The tempo of Chinese opera music is too slow.
- The demise of some dialects has also led to the decline of traditional Chinese opera.
- The development of modern media has enriched people’s lives and diverted audiences fromChinese opera.
- Chinese opera is visually incompatible with the aesthetics of young people.
Solve Problems (Until 1 December)
Intervention I did (An idea)
By using elements of Chinese opera combined with modern popular elements (e.g. Marvel), the aim is to arouse the interest of young people. And then applied to young people’s everyday items (e.g. School uniforms).
I invited primary school students to come to my online workshops, they have designed their school uniforms with elements of Chinese opera.
Future interventions
Explore more modern forms that can incorporate elements of Chinese opera and bring it into the lives of young people, such as shopping bags, masks, etc.
WHAT IF
For Chinese opera artists
It can help Chinese opera artists to find new ways of expression and inject young energy into the art of Chinese opera.
For youth
They can be exposed to traditional Chinese opera culture in an interesting way in their daily lives so that they can learn more about it and use it as their own personal label.
For parents
Participation in Chinese opera can be a vehicle for parents and children to bring them closer together and create family memories.