The year 2023 is the first year to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and also the year for Jiang'an District to serve the national strategy and Shanghai's overall development, stick to high-quality development, and continuously strengthen the core competitiveness. The 2023 Shanghai Jing'an Modern Drama Valley, jointly organized by the People's Government of Jing'an District, Shanghai Media Group, and Shanghai Theatre Academy, is now all set. At a March 27 press conference at Jing'an District Culture Center, it was announced that the event will be held from April 20 to May 8. Built on the theme of "Fusion"—Gathering Masterpieces from Famous Chinese and International Troupes, this session will display 23 dramas 73 times. In addition, a variety of excellent performance resources at home and abroad will be gathered to present performances more than 300 times at various venues, blocks, and parks within Jiang'an District. Moreover, it will feature the JZ Spring, coffee culture festival, and other festive events, as well as various social resources, continuously enhancing the strongest recognition and influence of the "People's Festival" brand of the district. This year's session continues to set classical sections, including Famous Drama Performance, City-wide Performance, and One Drama Awards. Compared with previous sessions, this session demonstrates further breakthroughs and innovations in all sections.
Famous Drama Performance: Subsidized by the Government to Benefiting the People
Famous Drama Performance is designed to attract more well-known troupes and excellent dramas, provide cultural guidance and aesthetic enlightenment for local residents, nurture their souls, and shape the character of the urban area. To this end, the People's Government of Jing'an District continues to execute subsidy measures. First, it keeps implementing the fare subsidy policy to benefit the residents. For all dramas, the ticket fare will be subsidized by up to 30%, ensuring the maximum fare for each performance does not exceed RMB 600 to enable the audience to spend less money while still being able to watch more outstanding dramas and immerse themselves in different stories in the theater. Second, it has launched a reward mechanism for public welfare popularization. Efforts have been made to encourage all parties to participate in and organize more public welfare activities for drama popularization, allowing the residents to have closer and more convenient access to more diverse drama experiences. On the evening of April 20, the opening ceremony of the Modern Drama Valley will be held at the Daning Theatre. The highlight of the event will be the performance of the acclaimed stage play Activity Changes Human Form adapted from the renowned novel of the same name by writer Wang Meng. This play has received two prestigious awards: Best Play at the Chinese Theatre Awards and the Director's Award at the 17th Wen Hua Awards. The opening ceremony will also kick off the entire Famous Drama Performance section. The main plays include Red Sorghum: A Novel of China adapted from Mo Yan's original work and directed by Mou Sen, Shall I Compare You to a Spring Day, a star-studded play adapted from Feng Tang's novel, and a batch of domestic drama masterpieces such as Hamlet, produced by Shanghai Theatre Academy and directed by Pu Cunxin; as well as diverse and popular works like William and Me and Peter and the Wolf. The international section always lives up to everyone's expectations. At this session, three representative foreign dramas have been introduced, namely Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Radu Stanca National Theatre, La Gioia, a representative drama by Italian dramatist Pippo Delbono, and Frida Kahlo by Fly Theatre. From April 20 to May 8, the 23 dramas will be staged in such theaters as Daning Theatre, Majestic Theater, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, Shanghai Art Theater, Yunfeng Theater, Malanhua Theater, and the Jing Theatre of Jing'an District Culture Center.
City-wide Performance: A Stage for All, Embarking towards Beauty
The City-wide Performance section centers around the concept of building a people-oriented city and aims to create a platform where everyone has the opportunity to shine, step onto the stage, and enjoy a quality life. It encourages the active participation of all residents, fostering a sense of cultural appreciation and enhancing the humanistic qualities of Jing'an District. Through this initiative, residents are transformed from passive observers to engaged participants, actively contributing to the dissemination of social civilization. Various activities will be connected to light up the whole city.
—The 2023 Chinese and Foreign Families' Drama Contest expands its influence to the Yangtze River Delta region. This year's contest breaks through the traditional concept of 'family', allowing classmates, colleagues, neighbors, and others to form teams and participate. Various talents such as skits, situational dramas, theatrical performances, and storytelling can be showcased on stage. The goal is to build a social art education brand that encourages the universal participation and fosters a sense of community in Jing'an District.
—As the only Shanghai-based unit selected into the first batch of "the 2022 National Children and Youth Drama Art Popularization and Promotion Centers", Jing'an District Culture Center will fully leverage its advantages as a national-level theater platform. It will invite 12 other units from across the country to organize forums and workshops on children's drama, introduce customized excellent plays, and collaborate with social organizations such as Little Star Art Troupe to create a model for the popularization of children and youth drama art in Jing'an District.
—The Modern Drama Valley has unveiled its inaugural "drama bus", a multifunctional mobile unit that incorporates features such as a portable "drama ticket booth", a dressing room, a small stage for performances, and even a mini supermarket catering to drama enthusiasts. In addition, "drama stations" will be established on prominent streets, at key theaters, and in commercial communities throughout Jing'an District. Residents will have the opportunity to board the bus to sign up for the Chinese and Foreign Families' Drama Contest, purchase theater tickets, engage in theatrical makeup and costume experiences, and potentially encounter special guests or impromptu performances. The "drama bus" connects the excellence and beauty of Jing'an through mobile art, becoming a new cultural space and carrier that showcases the charm of the international Jing'an District.
—The Modern Theatre Valley has curated four international performing arts groups for customized performances. Additionally, there will be 200 community cultural teams competing, showcasing a fusion of tradition and fashion, classics and diversity. These performances, along with the thought-provoking theatre summit forum series may be unexpectedly encountered by local residents in streets, commercial areas, parks, and communities. Around every corner, there may be a touch of drama, and everywhere presents a picturesque landscape, constituting the unique cultural charm of Jing'an District in the spring season.
One Drama Awards: Focusing on Professionalism and Setting a Benchmark
For this year's One Drama Awards, a total of 144 dramas have been received, setting a new record. At present, they are subject to the preliminary appraisal. This year, 12 awards will be selected, including the Annual Drama, Annual Classic Repertoire, Annual Best Small Theater, Annual Best Director, Annual Emerging Director, Annual Best Scriptwriter, Annual Best Stage Design, Annual Best Actor and Actress, Annual Best Innovative Drama, Annual Media Attention Award, and Outstanding Contribution Award of Chinese Drama for 2021–2022. The intensity of both the participating dramas and the level of competition for each award has increased significantly after two years. The creative awarding ceremony falls on May 8. It is worth looking forward to the winners.
Three Festivals: People's Festival Empowering the City
During the 2023 Shanghai Jing'an Modern Drama Valley, the JZ Spring music festival, and Shanghai Jing'an World Coffee Culture Festival will be held concurrently, marking the first occasion where the three major festive brand events in Jing'an have converged. The JZ Spring will cross Suzhou Creek for the first time, resounding in the Suzhou Creek MixC World and Daning Life Hub. As the most remarkable community of jazz musicians in Shanghai, the Jing'an Citizen Bigband will once again participate in this charity performance event, creating exclusive characteristics for Jing'an and building its own branded style. West Nanjing Road in Jing'an District boasts the highest concentration of coffee shops in the city. Coffee is now a part of residents' everyday life. This year, the Shanghai Jing'an World Coffee Culture Festival will collaborate for the first time with Green Escape to create a memorable event. Spanning over the 5-day May Day holiday, the festival will gather more than 50 renowned international and domestic coffee brands, as well as unique and trendy cafes. Several brands will make their debut and introduce their offerings at the coffee culture festival. Jing'an is now inviting all residents as well as domestic and international tourists to enjoy dramas, coffee, jazz, people's festivals, and city-wide performances in this spring and appreciate the charm and beauty of the district.