Experimental Tradition- from Solo Acts to the Fellowship

The "Experimental Tradition" Research and Development Program has held three important activities- "Experimenting Traditional Chinese Opera - Solos", held in Hong Kong in 2002, "Solo – Experimenting Traditional Chinese Operas", held in Taipei in 2004, and "Meeting of the Gods – Festival of Experimenting Traditions" ", held in 2005 in Hong Kong. Besides cooperative public performances with Chinese traditional opera performance artists from various schools, there have been many in-depth discussions behind the scenes, and international seminars. The fundamental topics discussed in these three activities include:

From where the definition of experiment and experimental work should start;
How tradition and experiment build a relationship;
In the realm of art, how reform and innovation can proceed together, with self- awareness, with awareness of others, and with mutual interaction and respect;
Where, and by what method, the traditional opera performer should absorb new nourishment, to press for reform and innovation;
How experimental theater and traditional opera should respond to the rapid development of social values, technology, and the media;
How the relationship between experimental theater and traditional opera on the one hand, and audience and the market on the other hand, should be defined and clarified;
The effect of transcending traditional-opera schools and art categories, and cross-cultural exchange on developing creativeness; and
How to protect and develop living performing arts (including traditional and contemporary).

In November, 2005, Hong Kong held the third "Experimental Tradition" program, "Experimental China: Fellowship", which concentrated on aspects of experimental creative performance, including the following three attempts:

Through comparison of the training processes for singing, dialogue, mime, and acrobatic fighting of the four opera types- Peking, Kun, Bang, and Qin, develop experimental creative performances, with style-crossing content.
Starting from Qin music and singing, and carrying out an interactive experiment with today's popular music, develop a genre transcending original musical creation.
Inspire a modern original dance creation through the process of borrowing from traditional Peking and Kun opera plays (such as, Fleeing by Night, The Outcast General, and Amorous Longing), employing modern theater concepts and points of view, working and experimenting with modern technology, and, at the same time, by arranging two generations of traditional artists (master and student) to carry out an intergenerational cooperation that has multiple points of view.