China looks to perform more on world arts stage

China is willing to deepen cooperation with the US and other countries in the performing arts.

"The performing arts industry in China is now entering the best stage of development, " said Lv Yuzhong, deputy director of the Ministry of Cultural and Art at a promotion seminar titled China on Stage: What China has to offer for the American Performing Arts Market held jointly by the Department for External Cultural Relations, the Chinese Consulate General in New York and the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, on Sunday in New York.

"China now is one of the biggest performing arts markets in the world. In 2015, the box-office revenue of performing arts in China reached 16.17 billion yuan ($2.54 billion), which marks a 9.03 percent increase compared to the previous year," said Pan Yan, general secretary of the China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA).

"But the number is not significant compared to the size of the country and its population," Pan added. "That also means there should be a lot of room for improvement."

Li Liyan, cultural counselor at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, said that the US performing arts industry is well developed compared with China.

China and the US should strive for extensive cooperation and make joint development in personnel exchanges, production cooperation, marketing and promotion, Li said.

A Chinese performing arts delegation attended the 59th members conference of the APAP in New York City (Jan 15- 19), which is organized by the CAPA and the Public Service Platform for Exporting Chinese Performing Arts Productions.

The delegation consists of more than 50 managers and directors of 10 national troupes and seven provincial troupes and ensembles, including the China National Peking Opera Company, China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, the China National Symphony Orchestra, the China National Opera House, and other booking agents, venues and presenters form across China.

During the APAP, the Chinese delegation not only exhibits its productions in booths, but also invites American performing arts alliances, booking companies, presenters and other professionals in the performing arts industry to attend a special promotion seminar for Chinese performing arts production and to discuss building a marketing channel for international cooperation.

Twenty-two Chinese performing arts presentations joined a production called China on Stage.

Pan said that the integration of Chinese performing arts resources aims to establish a platform for purchase and sale for performing arts production and present to the world China’s rich performing arts resources and its rapidly developing market.

The APAP is a major international promotion seminar, and is held each January in New York. This year it attracted more than 3,000 booking agents, venues, presenters, troupes and ensembles from over 30 countries across the world.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com