IC admits to inspecting scripts and performance contents for Arts Festival

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) is reviewing the scripts and performance contents for inclusion at the 34th Macao Arts Festival (FAM), the president of IC, Deland Leong, said during the Macao International Parade on Sunday.

Leong addressed media queries regarding reports suggesting that groups were required to modify their scripts or performance plans to align with criteria set by the IC.

“We evaluate the program to decide on necessary adjustments for FAM. These adjustments might include different aspects. As some groups are participating by invitation from the IC, negotiations regarding content can be conducted based on mutual respect to deliver enjoyable shows for residents,” Leong said.

This comes after the recent cancelation of the performance, “Made by Beauty,” during the Macau City Fringe Festival in January. Several other reports surfaced regarding alterations to some FAM shows to meet the IC standards.

One of these shows was reportedly “The Three Brothers,” presented by the Portuguese art troupe My Own Name, which depicts family relationships and explores human emotions by presenting the frictions and struggles of brothers on the stage.

According to a report by Hoje Macau newspaper, part of the choreography was modified to remove a nudity scene. Choreographer Victor Hugo Pontes said that the change did not significantly affect the performance and deemed the IC’s request acceptable.

The same choreographer said that the IC had explained there were concerns over “cultural differences in the acceptance of nudity by the local audience,” and that the quota for nudity in the program had already been met.

According to a different report by local media outlet “All About Macau,” several proposals for shows during last year’s FAM event were disallowed at the last stage of evaluation, as they contained messages or expressions that were considered not acceptable by the IC.

While Leong asserted that script and content reviews were routine, leader of the local patuá-language theatre group “Doci Papiaçám Di Macau,” Miguel de Senna Fernandes, said to local public broadcaster TDM that this was the first year that IC had requested to see the scripts beforehand.

The group’s founder said that for the time being, no changes have been made, but stated that he would protest if the play was censored.

Senna Fernandes said the group has never before submitted a script to the IC, adding that the play’s script is a working document and so is likely to undergo last minute changes.

He also added that IC has been a good partner in the promotion and revival of the Macanese Creole language that is part of the distinguished list of cultural artifacts on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the People’s Republic of China. However, for that partnership to work, “it is necessary that IC trusts us and trusts in what we do.”

He noted that one of the fundamental characteristics of Patuá theatre plays is “impishness” and the fun and jesting manner with which the group addresses topical societal matters. He expressed the hope that the IC’s content review and analysis did not result in censorship of content itself and the logic of the play, as this would pose a serious blow to the group’s longstanding creative efforts across many years.