Title: Transmission of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong

Time: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Venue: LG04, Hui Yeung Shing Building

Delivered in English, all are welcome

Synopsis:
Cantonese opera has been the most representative Chinese opera genre in Hong Kong since 19th Century. Since 2009 when the genre has been enlisted into the Human Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, the Hong Kong government has been promoting Cantonese opera through various channels. Facing the development in the past decades, various issues have been raised.
This presentation will report some of my research projects on different issues related to transmission of Cantonese Opera. The first project is an investigation and documentation of apprenticeship and conservatory tradition as transmission modes. The second one is related to the development of personal style of Cantonese opera artists in Hong Kong. Furthermore, two project are about a) teaching Cantonese opera in schools with a partnership approach and b) a survey of Hong Kong and Guangdong schools in including Cantonese opera in school-based curriculum. If time allows, I will also talk about my recent projects on applying technology in enhancing the effectiveness of learning Cantonese opera in schools and community. I will conclude with an overall observation on the issues of transmission of Cantonese opera.