On June 27, 2016, the Sino-UK Performing Arts Skills Exchange Symposium, hosted by the educational department of British Embassy, the School of Arts, Peking University and NCRICA, supported by the Bureau of External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture and the Royal Opera House UK, took place at the Overseas Exchange Centre at Peking University.

The assistant director of the Bureau of External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture Mr. Zheng Hao, the minister and counsellor of the educational department of British Embassy Ms. Lucy Watkins, the vice dean of the School of Arts and the Deputy Directors of NCRICA Professor Peng Feng and Professor Chen Xuguang, the executive director of NCRICA and professor of the School of Arts Professor Lin Yi, 14 UK specialists including the Chief Operating Officer of Royal Opera House Ms. Sally O’Neil, and more than 80 delegates nationwide attended this symposium.

Professor Peng Feng chaired the opening ceremony whilst Professor Chen Xuguang welcomed the attendants. Professor Chen introduced the history of the School of Art and its comprehensive educational system as well as NCRICA; which as a national research institution, is in charge of several national research projects including those commissioned by the Bureau of External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture, and has managed to successfully hold a number of international exchange programs. He believed it was meaningful in both a practical and an academic sense for the School of Arts and NCRICA to host this symposium.

                         Prof. Chen Xuguang                                          Prof. Peng Feng

Mr. Zheng Hao then remarked on the opening ceremony on behalf of the Bureau of External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture. He said that with the joint cooperative effort of both China and the United Kingdom in the field of performing arts, there would be wide reaching positive effects. He then referred to the example of the agreement of cooperation signed between the National Center for the Performing Arts of China and the Royal Opera House of the UK, as well as that between the National Theatre of China and the National Theatre of the UK. Those who are involved in this field in both China and the UK gathered at this symposium where they talked to, shared experiences with and discussed future cooperation amongst each other. This was important for the Chinese and UK participants to get to know each other and learn from one another.

                                                                  Mr. Zheng Hao

Ms. Watkins said that this symposium was the extension of a series of communications between China and the UK. Two years ago the UK signed a memorandum for developing career integration with China, in hope that more cooperation could be achieved in the field of performing arts, as well as other forms of arts. This called for a mutual understanding of each other’s similarities and differences, so as to improve together. She believed the next two days would be thought provoking.

                             Ms. Lucy Watkins                                        Ms. Sally O’Neil

Ms. Sally O’Neil finished her statements by introducing the 14 UK specialists attending the symposium. They came from 8 UK institutions including academic institutions, business organizations as well as NGO’s such as the Royal Opera House of UK, the National Theatre of UK, the Shakespeare’s Global Theatre, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, etc; ultimately, covering a wide range of artistic forms such as opera, ballet, acting, contemporary dances, musicals, etc. She noted that cooperation in an even broader field was to be expected between these English cultural institutions and their reciprocal Chinese ones.

Keynote speeches, round-table conversations, open forum and many other forms of communications would occur throughout the event. The topics for these three days of in-depth discussions would cover: operating models for theatres, standards for stage management, methods to appeal to audiences, financing models, international cooperation plans and much more. Director for War Horse of National Theatre of the UK Mr. Alex Sens, Executive vice president for the National Theatre of China and director for Richard III Mr. Wang Xiaoying, head of the production department for the National Center for the Performing Arts of China Ms. Wei Lanfen, director of technology for the National Theatre of the UK Mr. Johansson Sarfork shared their experience after the opening ceremony.