Culture and Sport
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CULTURE AND SPORT Culture and Sport Culture and Sport Eastern and western cultures have co-existed in Macao for over 400 years. A wide variety of cultural traditions, languages, values, religious beliefs, and customs have all existed side by side and influenced one another. Out of this melting pot, a regional culture unique to Macao has gradually developed into its present richness. Macao’s culture is thus a diverse mixture, with traditional Chinese culture as its heart, and it has assimilated Western, particularly Portuguese, cultural influences in perfect harmony. Following its policy of promoting Chinese culture while preserving the unique pluralistic cultural heritage of Macao, the Government has hosted various cultural and artistic activities invited art troupes from mainland China and overseas, as well as Macao, to perform. These have created opportunities for audiences to learn more about the history, society, and culture of different regions, as well as enhancing cultural exchange and the quality of cultural life of Macao’s residents. Cultural Affairs Bureau The Cultural Affairs Bureau is a Government department that sets out the Government’s key objectives in cultural matters. The bureau is responsible for protecting cultural heritage, giving guidance on aesthetic appreciation, supporting community organisations, nurturing talent in arts and culture, developing local cultural industries, as well as organising cultural entertainment programmes, such as concerts, exhibitions, seminars, music classes, dance, drama courses, “Parade through Macao, Latin City”, Macao International Music Festival, Macao Arts Festival, China Cultural Heritage Day, Macao Youth Music Competition and Macao Annual Visual Arts Exhibition. It also provides subsidies for different cultural and art programmes as well as bursaries to support the publication of research and advanced studies about arts. Cultural and Creative Industries In 2010, the bureau established the Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries, to proactively promote cultural and creative industries and so boost their development – including through promoting and exhibiting cultural and creative products; conducting studies of the cultural and creative industries; formulating a policy framework and measures for the development of the cultural and creative industries; and collecting information on local cultural and creative industries. At present, information in the database is used in business matching, and selecting cultural and creative institutions and companies to participate in local and overseas activities and fairs, to foster Macao’s culture and creativity. In 2015, the Cultural Affairs Bureau launched C2 magazine, an update to the Macao Cultural and Creative Map (CCM Map) mobile application, Nam Van C-shop, 2015 Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making, and an experimental activity series – “Cinematheque Passion”. The bureau also organised the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Film-Making Investment and Exchange Conference 2015. 305 Macao Yearbook 2016 Cultural Industry Fund The Cultural Industry Fund was established according to the Law No. 26/2013 of the MSAR, supervised by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture. The aim of the fund is to support cultural industry development projects in Macao and promote adequate economic diversification. The principle for funding approval is to aim for projects supported mainly by investments from enterprises, and, supplemented by the fund. The targets for the subsidy include commercial enterprises established according to law, and registered under the Financial Services Bureau subject to taxation; if the commercial entity is a natural person, then the person shall be a Macao resident; if the commercial entity is a legal person, more than 50 percent of capital of the legal person should be owned by a Macao resident. The 26th Macao Arts Festival The 26th Macao Arts Festival was held from 1 May to 31 May and featured 30 programmes with 150 performances and art activities, including three visual art exhibitions. More than 15,881 tickets were sold, representing a take-up of 87 percent. More than half of the programmes were locally produced. Incoming programmes were from mainland China, Hong Kong, Portugal, France, Israel, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and Germany, spanning contemporary dance, Kun opera, multimedia production and mime. Enjoyed by connoisseurs and the general public alike, the programmes were staged in various World Heritage sites and performance venues in Macao. Numerous captivating programmes were imported for this edition of the festival. Lied Ballet by the Centre Choregraphique National de Tours and Trust by the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz received Asian premieres. Local productions included theatre production Phaedra 2.0-Desires and Lies, dance production Memory Blueprint II, and multimedia production The Bizarre Fairytales, featuring diverse and innovative forms of expression. Traditional local programmes included Cantonese opera Tale of the Pipa, an example of intangible cultural heritage, and Macanese Patua drama Macao’s Got Talent. Free outdoor programmes were offered in the community. Among them, Starlight Cinema, Transports Exceptionnels and Mostra de Espectaculos ao Ar Livre attracted an audience of over 2000 people. For the first time, Outdoor Performing Arts Showcase Mostra de Esepectaculos ao Ar Livre was performed at a bamboo scaffolding theatre at Barra Square, offering additional cultural flavour. The 29th Macao International Music Festival The 29th Macao International Music Festival was held from 4 October to 1 November, with a total of 23 programmes and 65 performances including extension activities. In all, 13,392 tickets were sold – 90 percent of the total available. Performing groups from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Iceland, and Portugal staged performances forming a musical extravaganza of exceptional quality. The festival invited renowned Scandinavian alto Charlotte Hellekant to work with Macao 306 Culture and Sport Orchestra and China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra to perform the classical Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler. The Italian vocal group Coro Lirico Siciliano joined hands with the Lyric Opera of Chicago from the United States in the production of French grand opera Faust. Other performances featured the BBC Philharmonic, one of the world’s most renowned orchestras; Gidon Kremer with Kremerata Baltica; vocal ensemble Chanticleer; Jazz masters Patti Austin and Janis Siegel; as well as rising star Icelandic pianist Olafur Arnalds. To encourage local talents, the festival held two Bravo Macao concerts, in which four local musicians showcased their talents. Parade through Macao, Latin City In 2011, the Cultural Affairs Bureau started organising the Parade Through Macao, Latin City, to celebrate the anniversary of Macao’s Handover and showcase the unique charm of Macao’s World Heritage sites, particularly the Latin city district. The parade aims to promote the image of Macao as an international tourism city, and help create a world tourism and leisure centre. The parade has become a branded festivity in Macao, annually attracting participation by local citizens, tourists and artists. In 2015, 1,350 international and local artists participated in the parade. There were about 600 VIVA Ambassadors from Macao, attracting 40,000 spectators on the site. Huge screens were installed at Largo do Senado, Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro, and Jardim Areia Preta, catering to an audience of 14,000. Over 100,000 viewers watched the live television broadcast of the parade, which promoted community integration, urban tourism, and Macao’s cultural image. The bureau invited local illustrators to work with the parade, and launched new projects such as the Cultural and Creative Dolls Adoption Scheme. Macao Orchestra Established in 1983, the Macao Orchestra is a professional ensemble under the Cultural Affairs Bureau. It has become an outstanding orchestra in Asia that integrates the cultures of east and west, and performs classics from the past and present. The orchestra plays an important role in the cultural life of Macao citizens and overseas audiences. In 2015, the Macao orchestra held over 80 concerts locally and overseas, which were appreciated by audiences totalling around 40,000 persons. The orchestra was the first in 2015 to tour China. Also during the year, the orchestra participated in the world-renowned Bruckner International Music Festival as a guest of honour. The orchestra visited other regions in Europe to showcase Macao’s cultural and artistic achievements. Macao Chinese Orchestra The Macao Chinese Orchestra is a professional Chinese orchestra under the Cultural Affairs Bureau. In 2015, it performed 67 concerts with various themes, for audiences totalling 23,655 persons. Macao Youth Music Competition The 33rd Macao Youth Music Competition had several categories for piano performances. There 307 Macao Yearbook 2016 were 678 applications, and 731 young musicians participated in the competitions, which were divided into three groups: elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. Competitions in different categories were held from 2 August to 6 August at the Dom Pedro V Theatre (Advanced Level), Institute for Tourism Studies (Intermediate Level), and Macao Science Centre (Elementary Level). There were 16 competition entries, including solos at various levels, sonatinas, 20th century piano works, piano works by Macao composers,