Gov’t reiterates existing tactics to support local performers

Existing tactics, mainly of four themes, will continue to be employed as means to support the development of local performances, Director of Culture Deland Leong told a press briefing yesterday after a meeting of the Cultural Development Advisory Committee. 

While she was presenting the topics covered at the meeting, the cultural official described the cultural industry as a crucial part in the city’s economic diversification, and said that “the government will encourage the local industry […] through supportive measures.”

Asked by the Times to further clarify what those “supportive measures” were, she said that there would be “a variety of perspectives.” The official pointed to the six districts that have been or will be revamped. The government will, she added, utilize the six districts to encourage local resort operators to “create more opportunities” for local performers and performances.

The six resort operators have been appointed to revamp some of the traditional districts in Macau, such as the Wynn Resorts to the Happiness Street and SJM Resorts to San Ma Lo.

Festive events will also be crucial to “encouragement” efforts. These events will see their scales expanded in the future in an attempt to foster greater impact, the official explained.

In order to update the “City of Shows” concept outlined by the Chief Executive in his latest Policy Address, the government may commission more local productions in the future, according to the cultural official.

Other than producing more shows, events and revamped traditional districts will also serve to support the development of the local performance circle, the official stated.

Despite the comments, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has recently cancelled two shows at the Macao City Fringe Festival, which is organized by the government in contrast to independent art companies or performers in many other places. A report related to this will be published today.

Meanwhile, concerning events to be held during the Lunar New Year period, a new branded program that comes with a somewhat literary, slogan-like name in Chinese was announced yesterday at the press briefing. However, no detail as to what will be included in the program was announced.

When asked, Leong said there will be a systematic presentation of the planned celebratory events for Lunar New Year. Several of the local cultural venues, such as museums, The House of Macao Literature, the Mandarin’s House and the Lou Kau Mansion, will turn into locations for festive cultural workshops in areas. Such workshops will include red-banner writing and postcard drawing.

Troupes from Shandong and Qinghai provinces will stage performances in Macau as well. Meanwhile, three music shows will be staged at the Ruins of St Paul’s during the period.

At the briefing, committee member Dr. Ieng Weng Fat disclosed that most of the members concurred with the proposal of promoting Lunar New Year traditions through the inclusion of festive foods. He also mentioned that many members were supportive of reviving the plaza commerce, or fun fair culture – Tai Tat Tei – as far as night-time businesses were concerned. Tai Tat Tei is similar to fun fair, where street food, simple games and other retail are conducted in an open space at night.

When asked if the concept would appeal to younger visitors coming to Macau, Leong said that previous festivities from places like Shanghai had been studied. In these places, she said, business operators gather to transform streets, or blocks of streets, into hang-out or clubbing locations.