Macao Art Festival to return in May themed ‘Restart’

The 31st Macao Art Festival (MAF), which was suspended last year due to Covid-19, is set to make up for lost time and will roll out the red carpet in May this year, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) confirmed yesterday.
The unveiling of MAF was made public by the IC at a media briefing yesterday afternoon. The festival’s resumption constitutes one of several signs Macau has been displaying of an accelerated return to normal.
This year’s MAF will bear the theme “Restart” to embody its resurrection this year — music to the ears of local artists and the local community alike.
Given that the pandemic has still not subsided, MAF, which used to serve as a platform for international artistic exchanges and for local artists to showcase their works, will only focus on productions from China and Macau, Mok Ian Ian, president of the IC, said.
It features a total of 20 art shows of various genres, ranging from theatre, dance, music and visual arts, created by local and mainland artists.
“WhiteSnake,”  an innovative performance presented by the Lin Zhaohua Theatre Studio from Beijing which breathes new life into the classic Chinese folktale “The Legend of the White Snake,”  will be the opening event which launches MAF.
The festival has also invited China’s first private modern dance group, Jin Xing Dance Theatre from Shanghai, to present “Wild Flower” and “Trinity,” acts which touch on controversial issues such as women’s standing in society.
For local productions created by homegrown artists, a series of captivating programs such as “Drunken Dragon Dance,” “See You through Memories,” and “The Coloane Game” will invite audiences to immerse themselves deeper into Macau’s distinctive culture.
Another local drawcard is bound to be “The Never-ending Task of Lust for Failure,” presented by Comuna de Pedra Arts and Cultural Association, and Swiss company Theater HORA. It is an experimental performance by both Macau and Swiss nationals with intellectual disabilities.
“Running a non-profit theater troupe in Macau has been not easy during Covid-19. With the help of the government, it was very fortunate for us to have a chance to hit the stage at the Macao Art Festival,” Jenny Mok, the director of Comuna de Pedra Arts and Cultural Association, told the Times yesterday.
Jenny Mok said her troupe has been receiving financial support from the government for the staging.
Due to the travel restrictions still in place, Jenny Mok will take advantage of some digital solutions to simultaneously show both the Macau and Swiss troupes on stage. The forthcoming show will be completely different from previous performances and will explore the topics of failure in life, she said.
Aside from the 20 key performances, the festival will offer around 100 outreach programs, such as workshops, backstage tours and film screenings.
The SAR government has set aside MOP21 million for MAF this year. The festival has been a mainstay and key highlight in Macau’s event calendar for both locals and tourists.
“Over the years, the festival has not only cultivated talents and accumulated a trove of works, but has also expanded its artistic vision and enhanced the aesthetic perception of its audience,” Mok Ian Ian said.
The IC is aiming to lead audiences on a life-awakening artistic journey through a number of thought-provoking and sentimental programs in MAF during the tumultuous Covid-19 era.
The IC has launched a diverse ticketing channel for the first time this year, to offer greater convenience to audiences and avoid crowding during the pandemic. An online reservation process will commence on March 25 to allow people to reserve a timeslot to purchase tickets at brick-and-mortar outlets starting from the first day of ticket sales on March 28.