Arts and cultural festival to debut in July

The inaugural “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese- speaking Countries” will be held in July, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and featuring five main activities.

During a press conference last week, the IC confirmed that the festival’s highlights will include a China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, the exhibition “Chapas Sínicas – Stories of Macao in Torre do Tombo” and various seminars.

The China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Gala Performance, the Cultural Forum between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries and the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries will also be held at the festival.

The festival aims to strengthen Macau’s role as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

As such, the SAR has launched the “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking countries” which uses the SAR as a platform to promote regular cultural exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The festival will feature 23 screenings of 24 films and introduces audiences to contemporary films and masterpieces from China and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as movies shot in Macau by Portuguese filmmakers.

The “Chapas Sínicas – Stories of Macao in Torre do Tombo” exhibition celebrates the successful inscription of the “Chapas Sínicas”, the “Official Records of Macao During the Qing Dynasty (1693-1886).”

It was jointly nominated by the Archives of Macau and the National Archive of Torre do Tombo of Portugal for UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

The exhibition will also feature a talk and the release of commemorative stamps in collaboration with the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau.

The exhibition aims to share with the public some records of historical events, which despite happening in Macau, are relevant to China and Portugal.

Meanwhile, the China and Portuguese- speaking Countries Gala Performance will feature the Gansu Performing Arts Troupe from mainland China and art groups from eight Portuguese- speaking countries.

The Cultural Forum between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries is themed “cultural diversity” and will feature cultural experts and scholars from mainland China, Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The forum is intended to be a communication platform and means of promoting cultural exchange and communication between China and Portuguese-speaking countries through thematic talks, site visits and exchange seminars.

The “Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-
speaking Countries” presents four thematic contemporary art exhibitions, namely Alter Ego, The Universe, Penetrate and Aiya, with MGM Cotai as special partner in Alter Ego.