Teachers step up their game at drama camps

Shanghai-born film director and actor Xu Zheng's art education project "Inspire Your Drama Dream" recently held a public-interest summer camp in Yichun, east China's Jiangxi Province.

The camp, which ran from July 19 to 31, assembled many of the country's top theater art experts to lead themed academic workshops, which covered a wide range of subjects including Chinese literature, aesthetics and drama arts. 

More than 40 art teachers from across the country received special training for innovative new teaching methods and concepts. They learned how to create plays for children based on folklore and fantasy stories along with the crossover application of drama in education.

Hong Kong comedian and cross-media performer and director Jim Chim gave a master class about his theater training experience and the PIP – Pleasure In Play – artistic concept. 

Over the past few decades, Chim has created more than 60 stage works on the basis of PIP, and presented about 8,000 stage performances in various forms. He also has rich experience in conducting acting and movement workshops for colleges and art organizations around the world.

The first stop for the project, initiated by Xu's Love Charity Foundation, was the mentors' winter camp at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center earlier this year. During the camp, 33 Chinese mentors made presentations about children's picture books and literary works that have big potential to inspire stage productions for young people.

Xu's camp in Yichun was the first time the project has been introduced to a city outside of Shanghai, aiming to promote theater art and foster young professionals in the dramatic arts.

Ti Gong

At the summer camp's closing ceremony, Xu said he was impressed by the mentors' and front-line art teachers' passion, energy and devotion to spreading the arts.

"We hope the project will bring amazing changes to children, delight their lives and explore their untapped potential," Xu said. "It's a very meaningful work for us, and we need to do many things from scratch. We are trying to make the project accessible to more people in the future."

A graduate of the Shanghai Theater Academy, Xu has helmed and produced several box office movie sensations, including the comedy "Lost In Thailand," the anthology "My People My Country" and the drama "Dying to Survive."

Xu is also an initiator of Shanghai's movie-viewing program for the visually impaired. Last year, his comedy film "Lost in Russia" was screened with a special narration channel for people with visual difficulties.

The summer camp turned out to be a rewarding experience for many teachers. Xu Tingting, a primary school teacher from Beijing, said that in addition to scientific and fun art-teaching methods, she has learned how to better communicate with children and respect their personalities. 

The camp also launched a funding plan for young talent in drama education. Some original curriculum in theater art will be introduced to schools around the country, and symposiums about aesthetic education will be hosted for teachers to exchange ideas.

More and more people in China have come to realize the influence and power of art education on a person's growth. Children are believed to be exposed to more possibilities in their lives when they're involved in the arts.

Ti Gong