Shanghai International Arts Festival offers stage for rising artists
Emerging Chinese artists will continue to be offered a stage on which to showcase their talent, as the China Shanghai International Arts Festival is returning this year with its Rising Artists' Works (RAW) project.
RAW was introduced in 2012 as an initiative to encourage innovative works by young Chinese artists. Under the project, renowned artists on the festival's Art Council select proposed works for a commissioned list and then help the young artists bring their creations to the stage.
A RAW showcase is staged at the Shanghai Theater Academy campus.
According to festival organizers, the preliminary round of this year's selection concluded at the Shanghai Theater Academy this week, during which 39 young artists received advice on their work from the Art Council.
About 10 works will eventually be chosen for this year's commissioned list. The festival will provide financial support to the selected artists and introduce them to the public.
This year's China Shanghai International Arts Festival will be held from October 20 to November 19. The festival has been absent for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Original creations from RAW (clockwise from top left): Experimental Yue Opera "The Destiny of Rebirth", musical "Overlord", "Folding City", and dance drama "The Moon Opera."
The RAW project will also celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. In a new addition, the project will be open to global young artists instead of only Chinese artists starting from this year. A new visual arts category has also been added.
RAW has commissioned 91 young artists to create 77 stage works in varied styles in the past decade. Fifteen of the works have toured to 13 countries and regions for cultural exchange and art festivals, including Britain's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Hungary's Budapest Spring Festival, Romania's Sibiu International Theater Festival, India's Delhi International Arts Festival and Australia's OzAsia Festival.
