National Taiwan College of Performing Arts
| About Us | Administration Units | Academic Units |
Affiliated Performing Units |
|---|---|---|---|
About US
School Motto, Aim and Objectives
Administration Philosophy
1. Extend traditional opera partnership
Through traditional opera performances, the NTCPA has cooperated with public and private institutions to build a resource sharing platform, connecting quality groups and distinctive educational institutes in the field of traditional performing arts. The College strives to improve the effectiveness, facilitate professional development and improve the education quality, so as to build up win-win relationships.
2. Optimize teaching and learning, research and development resources
The College integrates the teaching and research resources, and applies the subsidy projects from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education, in order to improve the quality and quantity of teaching and research. We also hold workshops and academic talks giving by world-class masters, as well as performing arts academic conference, edits and publishes books for interdisciplinary performing arts. Through assisting the promotion of teachers and upgrading teaching quality, we develop the features of traditional opera education.
Talents from our school are gathered to perform in the distinctive “Lakes and Hills Arts Festival”. The transdisciplinary performances of dance, Xi Qu music, drama
accentuate the energy of traditional opera performance. We enrich the hardware and software of teaching facilities, and create a quality learning environment, so as to multiply the effectiveness of learning and teaching.
3. Foster international visibility
Amid the trend of globalization, “the NTCPA reaches out to the world, thus the world embrace the NTCPA”. We strive to extend our visibility in the world, cooperate proactively with international well-known performing arts academies, and expand the exchange with our partner schools. Thus, student and teacher have more opportunities for inbound and outbound exchange, in the hope of building up their international perspective gradually, fostering the internationalization and enhancing the global reputation of the NTCPA.
4. Fulfilling social responsibility and implementing sustainable development
The NTCPA has started promoting “arts-and-living community” model and “Caring for Young and Old” project, in the hope of bringing traditional opera to the community. Helping the elderly relive childhood memory, connecting the young with traditional culture, the NTCPA aims to inspire the community and raise public attention to the culture of traditional arts.
Our school has adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) listed by the United Nations. Besides fostering school development, we hope to strike a balance with the sustainability of environmental, social and economic resources, in order to fulfil our duty as a member of the global village.
History
The first educational institution in Taiwan to provide a 12-year coherent curriculum for traditional operas talent, the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts (NTCPA) was upgraded from the National Taiwan Junior College of Performing Arts (NTJCPA) on August 1, 2006 and is dedicated to teaching, preserving, promoting and innovating traditional operas.
The NTCPA is built on the legacy of two academies, the National Fu Hsing Experimental School of Theatre Arts and the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts, which are introduced below.
- National Fu Hsing Experimental School of Theatre Arts
In 1957, Fu Hsing Arts Academy was founded by Mr. Zhen-Zu Wang in today's Beitou District, Taipei.
In 1963, Fu Hsing Beijing Opera Troupe was established.
In 1968, the school became a public school under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and renamed the National Fu Hsing Experimental School of Theatre Arts. Its campus in the meantime relocated to the present-time location in Neihu District. Subsequently, its programs had expanded to include acrobatics, theatre art music and Taiwanese opera.
- National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts
In 1976, the Ministry of National Defense integrated the three military theatre troupes, the art performance corps, and Chinese Television System's acting training courses to establish the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts, which offers programs of Jing Ju (Yu opera included), music, dance and drama.
In 1985, the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts was integrated with the three military arts academies, Da Peng, Lu Kuang and Hai Kuang Experimental School of Arts. Its campus relocated to the present-time location in Muzha, Wenshan District, Taipei.
In 1995, the academy became under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. Its campus had remained in the same location in present-day Wenshan District, Taipei.
- Integration of two academies
In 1999, the National Fu Hsing Experimental School of Theatre Arts merged with the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts to establish the NTJCPA.
In 2006, the college was further upgraded into the present-day NTCPA, which currently has six departments – of Jing Ju, Acrobatics, Xi Qu Music, Taiwanese Opera, Theatre Arts, and Hakka Opera – as well as the Jing Ju Troupe and the Acrobatics Troupe.
In 2016, the Traditional Opera Youth Troupe was founded.
Organization Chart of the NTCPA
Continuous Education System
1. System Features
The system is composed of 4 academic divisions: elementary, junior high, vocational high, and college, in relation to the training philosophy of each academic department.
| Major | Duration (in years) of the continuous study plan |
| Department of Jing Ju | 12 |
| Department of Acrobatics | 12 |
| Department of Taiwanese Opera | 10 |
| Department of Xi Qu Music | 10 |
| Department of Hakka Opera | 10 |
| Department of Theater Arts | 7 |
2. Curriculum Objectives
- General education: These courses were planned according to the school motto and current educational objectives. By complimenting the major curriculum with a diversity of liberal arts classes from different disciplines, the courses aim to provide a school-based curriculum that encourages students to develop a holistic worldview.
- Major curriculum: Designed in accordance with the nature and goals of different departments, these courses aim to pass on professional skills and knowledge to the students. A variety of elements such as traditional culture, contemporary performing arts, transdisciplinary, as well as theories and practices, are all included in the curriculum. In addition, industrial perspectives and trends of the society are incorporated in the teaching, in the hope of cultivating professional talent with a humanistic instinct in the field of performing arts.
3. Credits Structure
Future Prospects
The expertise of the NTCPA over the past sixty years has been cultivating professional talent and disseminating traditional performing arts. As the only college dedicated to traditional performing arts, in the future, the NTCPA will continue its work in passing on and innovating traditional arts, cooperating with public and private institutions to build a resource sharing platform, optimizing teaching and learning, research and development resources, fostering the internationalization of the College, fulfilling social responsibility and implementing sustainable development. The College strives to cultivate more professional young talents in the field of traditional opera, and carry forward the arts of traditional opera.
Administration
Office of Academic Affairs
The Office of Academic Affairs includes divisions of teaching, enrollment, and continuing education, as well as a teaching resources center.
Its duties include student recruitment, teaching planning, curriculum adjustment, promotion of continuing education, management of student information and grades, evaluation of teaching and learning quality, and integration of educational resources. The Office of Academic Affairs has worked towards expanding student recruitment efforts and sources, digitizing academic administration data, building curriculum mapping and teaching standards, promoting services, and improving teaching quality. It is dedicated to developing distinctive education and creating a comprehensive teaching system, curriculum and learning environment.
Office of Student Affairs
The Office of Student Affairs encompasses divisions of living guidance, counseling, extracurricular activities, health and sports.
It is charged with providing guidance and services to students, it facilitates counselors' work, improves student safety and campus environment, offers scholarships and grants, assist with student organizations and clubs activities, provides counseling and accommodation services and promotes student health. It mission is to improve students’ health, well-being and physical ability, and cultivate their independence, self-government, self-discipline and compassion.
Office of General Affairs
The Office of General Affairs comprises divisions of general affairs, cashier services, property management, construction and maintenance, as well as environmental safety.
It is tasked with managing general affairs and supporting administrative work, with duties covering facility rental, parking management, festivals and events, procurement, fees and payments, property registration and management, facilities maintenance and repair, and campus environment, safety and health issues. It aligns itself with the College's overall development and aims to use manpower, resources and time economically to provide adequate and sufficient support to all school units, creating a pleasant, barrier-free campus environment for art and culture.
Office of Research and Development
The Office of Research and Development includes divisions of research and planning, industry-academia cooperation and international exchange.
It is tasked with promoting teaching and research, enhancing international academic exchange, fostering industry-academia collaboration, providing students with internship guidance and building alumni networks. To provide more learning opportunities for both teachers and students, the Office of Research and Development endeavors to encourage academic research among instructors, expand international academic partnerships, bridge the government, academia and industry, and draw on alumni resources. It also works towards creating an environment conducive to research and development by connecting faculties, facilities and academic resources with arts communities, industries, the public sector, other academic institutions and the international community.
Office of the Secretariat
The Office of the Secretariat comprises divisions of documentation and secretary.
It is tasked with overseeing and assessing programs, communicating and promoting policies, establishing sets of standard operating procedures, reviewing documents, handling critical and confidential documents, compiling reports of administrative polices and implementation progress, supervising and appraising the implementation of key measures. It hopes to build a consensus among faculty and staff members and encourage them to actively and positively support key projects, with a view to reviving traditional operas and making the College a prestigious educational institute.
Library Information Center
The Library Information Center has divisions of acquisition and cataloging, collection and circulation, publication, system and network.
It is tasked with digitizing data, providing online services, managing digital library resources, and facilitating reader services.
In information management, the Center assists faculties with teaching and research information systems and provides them with technical consultation on information integration; it also helps build administration information systems and the College’s official website as well as maintain information security.
In library operation, the Center amasses and manages collections that pass on and reflect the College's characteristics, and provides circulation services across campuses and in collaboration with other libraries, to meet the needs for learning, teaching and researching. It uses an automated library management system and cutting-edge technology to integrate a wide range of resources, operating both physical and digital libraries. The Center also organizes training seminars to familiarize users with its services. It is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art facilities in a pleasant environment that serves the needs for learning, teaching, researching, as well as enjoyable reading, allowing readers to use library resources with ease.
Performing Arts Center
The Performing Arts Center has two divisions: exhibition and performance, and technical support.
It is charged with promoting and organizing art and cultural events, operating the Bihu Theater, and managing performance venues on the two campuses as well as designing and assessing their stage facilities such as lighting and acoustic systems.
The Performing Arts Center actively fosters exchanges among arts associations across the country, organizes exhibitions and performances by artists in residence, orchestrates the NTCPA's performance for Taiwan's National Day celebrations, and hosts art workshops. Through a wide range of exhibitions and performances as well as other events, it hopes to promote art and culture and bolster the NTCPA's diverse, comprehensive development in these areas.
Personnel Office
The Personnel Office is charged with managing hiring, compensation, performance evaluation, training, insurance, retirement, leave, benefits, human resource development and the organization of committees. With proactive attitudes and quality services, its team is dedicated to serving faculty and staff and safeguarding their rights and benefits. It hopes to build a mechanism and consensus helping the College to better its organization and structure.
Accounting Office
The Accounting Office is charged with the compilation of budgets, final accounts and monthly financial statements, budget control and allocation, bookkeeping, review financial transaction documents, procurement oversight, and the compilation and management of accounting documents and archives. It plans and allocates budget to ensure budget balance. Its professional accountants support administrative work with their expertise, supply financial statistics needed for policymaking, and helps staff to document and report transactions.
Academic
Department of Jing Ju
1. Introduction
Jing Ju (also known as Beijing opera or Peking opera) is a traditional Chinese theater that blends singing, dance, music, literature, martial arts, acrobatics, painting and sculpture. It has evolved over several centuries to become a treasured, dynamic art form that tells stories through singing and dance. Jing Ju employs classified role types, standardized performing styles, body movements, tunes, musical accompaniment, costumes, makeup, emotive appeals and a minimalist stage setting, showcasing the fine culture of this traditional Chinese performing art. Enhancing both performing arts communities and the general public at home and abroad, Jing Ju is a powerful vehicle for disseminating the unique traditional Chinese culture.
2. Educational Objectives
The Department of Jing Ju focuses on cultivating performing skills, while also developing playwriting, directing, and other artistic skills. It endeavors to spur creativity among students, with a view to bringing this traditional art alive to modern society as a timeless legacy. The Department's objectives are to :
- Bring academic study on a par with skills training.
- Blend practice and theory.
- Embrace tradition and innovation
- Provide intensive training in basic performing skills and cultivate talent.
- Encourage students to explore diverse learning and development opportunities and cultivate their skills in performance and creative productions.
3. Course Overview
The Department offers a 12-year coherent curriculum spanning four phases: two years in elementary school, three years in junior high, three years in vocational education and four years in college. This could also be divided into two major stages: from elementary school to vocational education, the focus is on a basic understanding of Jing Ju, performing skills for role types, as well as stage performance training and experiences; the college-level curriculum, the second stage, centers on the integration of performance and creativity and comprises four groups of courses – core courses, professional courses, internship courses and general education. The college-level courses aim to foster extensive, diverse development in research, creative production, and performance, encouraging student to explore new horizons in Jing Ju.
4. Future Prospects
Jing Ju was deemed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To preserve and pass on this unique art form from generation to generation, the Department aims to :
- Build academic theories based on contemporary and past Jing Ju performances.
- Utilize digital technology to produce multimedia teaching materials for Jing Ju education and performance.
- Use traditional elements of Jing Ju to create new theater productions and adaptations that have international, local and creative appeals.
- Collaborate with performing arts universities at home and abroad to offer distance learning, enabling traditional Jing Ju to reach a wider audience.
- Offer work-study programs with domestic and overseas theater troupes, paving the way for students' future career.
Department of Acrobatics
1. Introduction
The art of acrobatics traces its history back to the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD), during which time Baixi (literally one hundred games) combining juggling, martial arts, magic tricks, slapstick, music performance and dance enjoyed great popularity. Forever extending the boundaries of physical capabilities and aesthetics, acrobatics features a wide range of gymnastic feats requiring remarkable skills, as well as the dexterous employment of daily objects during performance. It has been a timeless epitome of extraordinary folk art and culture. Contemporary acrobatics has sought to integrate tradition and innovation, enriching performance with the incorporation of theater, dance, music and stunts. The Department hopes to preserve the technique and spirit of acrobatics, create its new artistic value and take this performing art to the next level.
2. Educational Objectives
The only department in Taiwan dedicated to the art of acrobatics, the NTCPA's Department of Acrobatics offers a 12-year coherent curriculum beginning from the fifth grade in elementary school, junior high, vocational education to college level. It hopes to teach students acrobatics skills and help them grow into professional performers. The curriculum objectives are to cultivate :
- Acrobatic performers with not only good basic training but also outstanding performing skills.
- Directors with knowledge of acrobatics stage performance and expertise in creating and directing performance.
- Instructors with professional expertise, capable of teaching both skills and integrity, as well as theory and practice.
3. Course Overview
The emphasis of the curriculum is on skills training, with two major groups of courses on juggling as well as stunts and acrobatic dance. These versatile courses provide professional training to help students gradually perfect their acrobatic techniques with precision, efficiency and unity – the three professional indicators greatly valued by the NTCPA. Starting from the basic training of waist, legs, head and somersault movements to the training for muscle strength, dance, acrobatics, martial arts, the curriculum offers both academic and technical education to ensure that students have basic performance capabilities, sophisticated skills and creative ideas. Step by step, the Department nurtures future performers that will one day further elevate the art of acrobatics.
4. Future Prospects
Over the years, the Department has been dedicated to creating an environment conducive to the art of acrobatics – a learning environment that teaches professional skills and blends tradition and creativity. It is the Department's vision that students are able to use the skills they learn to connect with the world when they realize their dreams, give well-prepared performances on stage, build their performance careers and achieve great successes.
During each stage of the Department's professional training, learners are required to follow rigid professional disciplines and ethics, so as to make acrobatic performance a professional art field in Taiwan with meaning and value and even turn it into a globally competitive art with enormous potential.
Department of Xi Qu Music
1. Introduction
Xi Qu (or traditional Chinese Opera) music plays a unique role in the preservation, innovation and development of traditional operas. As stories unfold in traditional operas, music of gongs, drums, stringed instruments and flutes can reinforce different role types' singing, reciting, acting and acrobatic fighting. Not merely accompaniment, wenwuchang (literally civil and martial scenes), or traditional opera music ensembles, are an essential element in traditional operas. The Department is dedicated to preserving the traditional performing arts and culture, and cultivating music performers for traditional operas. It also nurtures talents with great sense of humanism and international perspective, blending tradition and modern, in order to face the contemporary performing arts environment.
2. Educational Objectives
The Department is dedicated to cultivating professional talent with a humanistic instinct in the field of traditional opera music. It also aims to nurture music arrangers, composers and conductors for traditional opera music, focusing on cultivating students' versatile music skills and their ability to work with multiple types of traditional operas.
The Department offers a 10-year coherent curriculum spanning three phrases: junior high, vocational education and college, providing quality education for cultivating professional talent in traditional opera music. The courses include musical instrument performance, vocal and music design for different traditional operas, and orchestration.
3. Course Overview
The Department’s courses, currently divided into Jing Ju, Hakka opera and Taiwanese opera, focus on the skills of performing musical instruments. The curriculum integrates tradition and modern trends and emphasizes professional training and music theories equally. The foremost target is to cultivate music performers for traditional operas, while students are also encouraged to learn about music composition and theories.
To build a teaching system for traditional opera music, the Department has worked toward amassing and preserving audio data of repertoires, and compiling and organizing teaching materials. By so doing, it aspires to influence the education of traditional opera music from the basic level. The Department also promotes music performance events in alignment with curriculum goals, and continues to organize performance activities under work-study programs. Looking ahead, the Department will endeavor to bolster industry-academia collaboration and implement a joint research mechanism. It also encourages teaching staff to propose research and creativity programs that help integrate traditional opera music resources and enhance practical application of acquired knowledge and skills.
4. Future Prospects
The Department follows the future development strategies of the College and aims to :
- Preserve the features and culture of mentorship.
- Treasure the value of traditional opera music as cultural heritage.
- Reinforce the cultivation of talent in traditional opera music creation.
- Encourage transdisciplinary collaboration and integration.
- Strengthen the utilization of technology, broaden international perspective.
This Department aspires to create systemic repertoire databases for different traditional opera music, with a view to making the music tradition an accessible and delicate art. The Department will also use state-of-the-art facilities to provide forward-looking education and popularize traditional opera music. Efforts will also go into building a traditional opera music talent pool platform to serve the industry and academia, helping creating a promising future for traditional opera music.
Department of Taiwanese Opera
1. Introduction
Taiwanese opera is the only traditional opera that originated and fully developed in Taiwan. For over a century, it has drawn viewers with its unique, natural performing styles. Evolving from on-the-ground performance, open-air stage performance, indoor stage performance, radio, cinema and television productions to modern theater, Taiwanese opera has been a mainstay of folk culture through historical phases, attracting audiences with its free, inclusive styles and the appeal of popular taste. Taiwanese opera first drew tunes from Fujian-style folk songs and features narrative singing. It singing style focuses on the rhyming and symmetry of lyrics that are natural and appealing to the grassroots. Taiwanese opera’s body movements, costumes and makeup, repertoires, props and sets over the course of time have incorporated elements from other traditional operas popular in Taiwan in different time periods, such as Jing Ju (or Beijing opera), Luantan opera and Gaojia opera. This has enriched Taiwanese opera and made it an inclusive as well as unique performing art.
2. Educational Objectives
The Department orientates according to its self-development and aims to :
- cultivate Taiwanese opera performers and inheritors with skillful and creative performing capability.
- build a solid foundation in creating and directing skills, and innovate performance that blends tradition and contemporary.
- elevate Taiwanese opera performance, and strengthen teamwork as well as arts management and marketing skills.
- emphasize on ethics in the industry and social responsibility on cultural heritage.
3. Course Overview
Taiwanese opera, as an important cultural indicator in Taiwan, had long been lack of a systematic education curriculum for nurturing talent, and requires performers with versatile skills and academic theories. Only through continuous education system, the tradition can be preserved. The Department recruits student who is interested in performing arts, stage performance and traditional opera. From junior high to vocational education, the focus is on fundamental performing skills and theatrical theories, as well as the capability to appreciate and analyze. The college-level curriculum centers on the advanced performing skills, theory and practice, and transdisciplinary courses in order to reach different groups of student. With the solid foundation trained in the stage of junior high to vocational education, student can proceed to advanced performing skills, or extend to the area of creating, directing and producing. A diversity of courses is available for students with different interests and characteristics.
4. Future Prospects
Through many years' efforts by its teachers and students, the Department of Taiwanese Opera has been recognized at home and abroad for its education and promotion of this traditional art as well as its exceptional stage performance. To popularize this refined performing art, members of the Department have traveled far and wide, from temples and shrines, venues of festivals, community schools, mountainous villages, outlying islands, local cultural centers, to the National Theater of Taiwan. They have also been invited to perform in the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, building friendship and bolstering cultural exchange with the international audiences. Every summer and winter break, the students also enthusiastically organize beginner or advanced workshops for adults in general as well as primary and secondary school teachers, with a view to cultivating more Taiwanese opera aficionados and connecting with the general public.
Looking ahead, the Department will not only continue to preserve the tradition of Taiwanese opera, but also connect with the society and contemporary thinking. Amid the trend of globalization, the Department aims to retain the characteristics of local culture. Through teaching, performing, preserving, exchange, promotion and collaboration, it aspires to internationalize and explore new artistic territory for Taiwanese opera.
Department of Theater Arts
1. Introduction
Theater arts include lighting, sound effects, sets, costumes, props and all other backstage technical work for theater performance. The Department of Theater Arts is dedicated to cultivating talent of theater stagecraft, including stage technology, lighting techniques, audio effects, and costume design. It strives to train backstage technicians that can best facilitate the representation of Chinese and western performing arts. Since its establishment, the Department has worked closely with other departments, to blend the technology and aesthetics of modern theater stage with traditional operas. As tradition meets modern theater arts, a new era will be ushered in for operas of old.
2. Educational Objectives
The Department aims to nurture theater stagecraft talents – including experts of stage sets, lighting techniques, audio technology and costume design – and stage production management specialists. It endeavors to cultivate the most distinguished theater technology professionals.
3. Course Overview
For over a decade, the Department has provided a seven-year coherent education covering senior high and college. To cultivate theater technology professionals, its curriculum helps students gain a broad understanding of traditional and modern theater development and learn technical skills, while maintaining a balance between academic research and professional practice. The courses expand students' views on the world, and create tremendous opportunities for their future careers.
4. Future Prospects
The Department envisions a future of excellence, professionalism, and a balance between tradition and innovation. It strives to create :
- For excellence, an inspiring learning environment with the best education facilities and up-to-date theater knowledge, enabling students to fulfil their potential, achieve their dreams and reach excellence in stagecraft.
- For professionalism, a great environment for acquiring practical skills, with strict work disciplines, ethics and professional standards, as well as valued teamwork.
- For a balance between tradition and innovation, a vibrant environment where traditional aesthetics interacts with modern theater technology and the value of traditional arts and innovation blend in harmony; the integration of tradition and innovation will extend the sphere of theater arts, creating new values for culture and art.
Department of Hakka Opera
1. Introduction
Taiwan has a Hakka population of over five million. Hakka performing arts plays a critical part of the cultural life in Taiwan. The “Hakka Tea-picking Opera” is a classical form of Hakka opera performance. It contains a variety of singing styles and music tunes that are both delicate and beautiful, and the unique traditional opera moves of its Chou (male clown roles) and Dan (female roles) are absolutely fascinating. Today, the Hakka Tea-picking Opera has evolved from a small play with Hakka song and dance into the “Grand Tea-picking Opera”, a rich grand play that shows the beauty of Hakka culture through a combination of Hakka language, literature, music, and traditional operas. The Department of Hakka Opera of the NTCPA is the only official course in Taiwan dedicated to cultivating talent of Hakka opera performance, thereby making it a very important incubator for young artists of this art form.
2. Educational Objectives
Established in 2001, the Department started taking in students of junior-high school level in the same year, and began recruiting students for its college section in 2007. Today, it continues its 10-year coherent curriculum, focusing on the development of performing skills of Hakka opera and abilities to work in a traditional opera theater as a professional. Dedicated to passing on traditional Hakka opera while promoting Hakka language, culture and art, a wide range of topics are covered in the curriculum of the Department, including tones and intonations of the Hakka language, culture and history of Hakka, the singing style and movements of Hakka opera, the study of scripts, real-life performances, as well as the adaptation and creation of theatrical pieces.
3. Course Overview
The Department is composed of three sections: junior-high, vocational education and college. During the junior-high and vocational education levels, a great emphasis is put on the development of basic performing skills of Hakka opera. With classes on performing skills of traditional operas and other practical classes, students can gain a basic understanding about this art form, learn to appreciate the beauty of the culture, and acquire skills necessary to become a professional performer.
Designed on the basis of “theory, practice, and innovation”, the college level of the Department focuses on professional performers, playwrights and directors, as well as arts administration. Performing training is at the core of the program. Yet in the meantime, relevant skills for a traditional opera theater, such as script adaptation and directing, are also included in the course. By so doing, the Department aims to encourage students to engage in whatever they do best while tapping into their potential, in the hope of cultivating the next-generation Hakka opera performers, playwrights, and theorists.
4. Future Prospects
In addition to joining professional Hakka opera troupes, many graduates of the Department also work for theatrical troupes or performing arts groups of different genres. In counties and cities with higher Hakka population, local governmental agencies, such as cultural affairs departments or Hakka cultural parks, have seen a growing demand for Hakka culture talent. Moreover, a variety of radio and TV stations as well as private cultural groups are also looking for fresh blood with knowledge of Hakka performing arts. For example, many graduates of the Department have joined the Hakka TV station as well as Hakka Radio and started out on their careers in the media.
There are great number of career options for graduates of the Department of Hakka Opera. For instance, for those who majored in performance, script adaptation, or directing, they can join private performing arts troupes and pursue their career in the theater. For those who majored in arts administration, primary arts education, or academic theories, they can engage in educational, research, or promotional work pertinent to Hakka opera performance. With such course arrangement, the Department looks forward to continuing cultivating professional talent of Hakka opera while bringing this art form to new heights.
Center for General Education
1. Introduction
The NTCPA is the only traditional opera college in Taiwan that adopts a 12-year coherent curriculum program. In addition to providing extensive training in traditional performance skills and techniques of variety of opera genres, the College also offers general education for its students, in the hope of giving them a better understanding about areas such as humanities, science, international affairs, and life in general, so that they can perfect their performance on stage and get better prepared for challenges in life. Hence, a wide range of topics is included in the general education program, including aesthetic appreciation, critical thinking, analysis, as well as expression and communication skills.
The aim of the general education program is to help students acquire general knowledge, develop useful skills, stimulate creativity, and learn to look at and discuss problems from different perspectives before having to deal with them. Character and integrity are highly emphasized in the course. In addition, the program encourages students to adopt a positive attitude toward life and to show are for the less fortunate as a responsible civilian. At the same time, cultures of different countries are also introduced in the course, so as to equip students with knowledge necessary to become an active member of the global community.
2. Educational Objectives
The goal of the general education curriculum is to allow college students to acquire general knowledge on a wide range of disciplines via the framework of universities, in addition to their majors, thereby redefining what education means while reviving its spirit. The general education program of the NTCPA focuses on creating an environment for holistic education. By integrating knowledge, disciplines, as well as thoughts and beliefs, the Center intends to equip students with the ability to appreciate culture and understand the world. By upholding the spirit of school motto “Heritage and Innovation, Mastery and Excellence”, the program enables students to have greater access to concepts such as art and humanities, democracy, and the rule of law, and will thereby develop the ability to function effectively in today’s world and to make career plans for the future. With the breadth of experience and knowledge provided in the general education curriculum, pupils will also learn to think critically—one of the main goals of a holistic education.
3. Course Overview
The general education curriculum integrates professional knowledge in traditional performing arts and liberal arts education, with three major groups of courses: college core curriculum, general education requirements and electives. A wide range of courses is as follows :
- Hold courses in art and humanities, social science, natural science, and applied science. Provide a holistic education that combines theory and practice, thereby allowing students to develop the ability to work in a variety of areas while staying engaged with both the industry and society.
- Teach multiple disciplines with a variety of teaching skills and theories, in the hope of giving students a better understanding about different subjects, thereby perfecting their performance on stage.
- Help students develop interpersonal skills, communication skills, and the ability to think critically and to solve problems.
- Encourage students to be sympathetic and show care for the less fortunate, and to develop the civic awareness necessary to fit in the global community.
- Promote the concept of lifelong learning and broaden the horizons of students by bringing in a global perspective, in the hope of making them more adaptable to changes around the world, thereby having more opportunities in their career development.
- Encourage international cultural exchanges to give students international experience.
4. Future Prospects
The NTCPA is dedicated to cultivating professional talent specializing in traditional performing arts. In additional to major programs designed for traditional opera skill training, the College aims to provide general courses of a wide range of disciplines, in the hope of broadening the horizons of students. Therefore, the Center for General Education has designed its curriculum in accordance with the following five principles: “Supporting academic studies”, “Focusing on art and humanities, “Encouraging creative thinking”, “Bringing in an international perspective”, and “Promoting comprehensive and balanced learning”.
With “Supporting academic studies”, the Center aims to support students with their studies so that they can achieve academic success while becoming more competitive in terms of job seeking. For “Focusing on art and humanities”, the Center intends to encourage students to show care for the less fortunate while developing the ability to appreciate art and beauty. “Encouraging creative thinking” is designed to help students think outside the box so that they can function effectively in the era of knowledge economy. “Bringing in an international perspective” is intended to provide students with the opportunity to gain international experience. “Promoting Comprehensive and balanced learning” puts great emphasis on the character and integrity of students. By providing a holistic learning environment, the Center seeks to facilitate students' development in morality, intellectuality, physical strengths, team spirit, and sense of aesthetics, in a comprehensive and balanced manner.
Affiliated Troupes
Jing Ju Troupe
1. Introduction
After founding Fu Hsing Arts Academy (today's NTCPA) in 1957, Mr. Zhen- Zu Wang set up Fu Hsing Beijing Opera Troupe in 1963 – the first professional traditional opera troupe affiliated to an educational institution in Taiwan, and one with the longest history on the island. Later, with the merger of the National Fu Hsing Experimental School of Theater Arts and the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts, Fu Hsing Beijing Opera Troupe also changed its name to the Jing Ju Troupe of the NTJCPA, and renamed again as the NTCPA Jing Ju Troupe (or the Jing Ju Troupe) today.
The Jing Ju Troupe is mainly composed of talented graduates of the NTCPA. Over the years, the Troupe has put on hundreds of performances of traditional Jing Ju plays, many of them all-time classics of the art form, including: Silang Visits His Mother, Legend of the White Snake, Belle Diaochan, Reunion at Gucheng, The Picture of Eight Righteous Men, The General Wu Zixu, Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony, Monkey King and Generals of the Yang Family. In addition to the classics, the Troupe has also applied modern sensitivities into their new Jing Ju and Kunqu opera adaptations in recent years. Among its latest adaptations and creations are: 808 Years: The Rise of Zhou Dynasty, NanGong, ChangWan, Before the White Hare comes, Two-faced Wu Qi, Cai Wenji, all of which were very well received by the audience.
2. Strategic Plans
Since its establishment, the Jing Ju Troupe has been expanding business according to the following strategic policies :
(1) Passing on the Tradition to Young Talents
To promote and pass on the beauty of traditional operas, the Jing Ju Troupe has been putting on performances at two community theaters on its Neihu Campus (the Bihu Theater and the Fuxing Theater) on a regular basis. Senior members of the Troupe as well as leading artists from other traditional opera groups are invited to coach young actors and actresses of the Troupe, in the hope of honing their skills while pulling in an engaging audience from the community. Before the annual performance, the Troupe promotes traditional opera culture on the school campuses and develops youth's appreciation of arts.
(2) Promotion
Every year, the Jing Ju Troupe makes annual plans to embark on promotional tours to elementary schools, junior- and senior- high schools, as well of universities around Taiwan. By holding talks with demonstrations or giving small-scale performances, the Troupe aims to introduce Jing Ju to students at all ages and levels, so as to complement materials taught at their artistic or cultural classes. Programs designed for these promotional tours include: Getting to Know Jing Ju; The Painted Faces; The Beauty of Jing Ju; Let's Learn Jing Ju; and Jing Ju as an Art Therapy. By holding these events, the Troupe wishes to introduce the art form to the younger generation. Meanwhile, at the invitation of different parties, for instance, Rotaract Clubs, Lions Clubs and enterprises, the Troupe also holds talks promoting and teaching traditional operas, in order to enlarge audience base.
(3) Adaptations and New Productions
The society has gone through profound social and cultural changes in recent years. To keep up with the latest trends, the Jing Ju Troupe has included contemporary themes and modern theater techniques into traditional opera plays. By making creative adaptations and adding modern elements into the classics, a series of new productions were launched. Among its adaptations and works are: 808 Years: The Rise of Zhou Dynasty; NanGong, ChangWan (2021); Before the White Hare comes (2020); Two-faced Wu Qi (2019); Two Sons Take a Boat (2018); Love Story in Chunqiu (2017); Cai Wenji (2016); Dr. Sun Yat-sen – A Taiwanese Jing Ju; The Fantastic Journey of a Seeker (2015); Rashomon; Eight Hundred and Eighty Years (2014); Ghostdom River (2013); Guan Hanqing (2012); Dreams of Yang Guifei (2011). These new adaptations have all received rave reviews, and are highly popular among a wide audience, including many new enthusiasts for this art form.
(4) International Exchanges
In addition to adaptations of many classics, one of the highlights of the Troupe's achievements was its joint production of Snow in August, a Nobel Prize winning literary piece with its author Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian, in 2002. The show's premiere took place at the National Theater of Taiwan, with the involvement of artists of both the NTCPA Jing Ju Troupe and musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra – the first of its kind in a traditional opera theater. The performance was later brought to Marseilles, France, at the invitation of Mr. Gao and the City government of Marseilles, in 2005. The play was on for four sessions, with local actors, actresses and musicians jointly involved in the production. It turned out to be a huge success. All the tickets were sold out and the production received extensive media coverage as well as glowing reviews from local performing-arts and theater critics.
(5) Cross-strait Exchanges
Both sides across the Taiwan Strait share a lot in common, including cultures, historical events, and appreciation for traditional opera. As such, traditional opera can play a critical role in facilitating communications and understanding, as well as building bonds between peoples from both sides. Therefore, in recent years, the Jing Ju Troupe has taken part in a series of cross-strait traditional opera events to promote exchanges between the two sides. For example, the Troupe performed Cai Wenji in Zhengzhou and Xiamen, and in the seventh Chinese Kunqu Opera Art Festival in Suzhou in 2017-2018. In 2015, the Troupe attended the sixth Chinese Kunqu Opera Art Festival in Suzhou and gave a Kunqu Opera performance of Dreams of Yang Guifei. In the same year, the Troupe went to in the 17th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, and put on Rashomon, a classic in its new production repertoires, as well as several other traditional one-act plays along with the College of Chinese Opera of the Shanghai Theater Academy. In 2008, the Troupe brought Lady Meng Jiang to The Symposium on Cross-Strait Traditional Opera Exchanges and Relevant Promotional Tours. In 2009, the Troupe toured Xiamen, Zhengzhou, Shangqiu, and Beijing – four cities in mainland China – with Li Xiangjun. In addition, the Troupe also took part in the Cross-Strait Forum on Traditional Opera, as well as the Jing Ju Young Talent Competition in April 2011. Through these events and exchanges, Jing Ju circles from both sides across the Taiwan Strait have gained a better understanding about and learned a lot from each other, laying a good foundation for future exchanges.
3. Future Prospects
The Jing Ju Troupe has put on numerous performances on behalf of Taiwan over the past fifty years, to more than fifty countries over Europe, Asia, America, and Australia. These events have played a critical role in promoting cultural exchanges, making new friends, as well as entertaining Taiwanese overseas compatriots. In addition, the Troupe also tours and stages promotional events at communities and schools around Taiwan on a frequent basis. By giving demonstration performances and speeches at local communities and by supporting or coaching private traditional opera groups, the Troupe aims to preserve this art form by bringing it closer to the lives of local audiences.
Acrobatics Troupe
1. Introduction
The NTCPA Acrobatics Troupe (or the Acrobatics Troupe) is the only acrobatic company under the auspices of the government in Taiwan. Formerly known as the Fu Hsing Acrobatics Troupe, it was firstly founded on July 1, 1990, under the instruction of the Executive Yuan. Later, after the merger of the National Fu Hsing Experimental School of the Theater Arts and the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts, as well as the creation the NTJCPA, the Troupe was firstly renamed the Acrobatics Troupe of the NTJCPA. With the upgrade of NTJCPA in August 2006, the Troupe was once again renamed the NTCPA Acrobatics Troupe.
The Acrobatics Troupe is composed of 36 talented youths who have received rigorous acrobatic training for at least eight years. These young artists are agile and nimble, capable of doing breathtaking acrobatic movements. Their performances also demonstrate the profound culture in arts.
Since its establishment, the Acrobatics Troupe has been dedicated to promoting the art of traditional acrobatics. It has been invited to perform in many parts of Taiwan, including the outer islets and the island per se (mountainous villages included) every now and then. In addition, it has put on performances in a variety of countries, at the invitation and under the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and the Overseas Community Affairs Council, in the hope of entertaining Taiwanese overseas compatriots, renewing friendship with Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, and promoting cultural exchanges all over the world. Their efforts have been highly regarded by many over the years.
Apart from passing on and disseminating tradition, acrobatics should extend its depth and breadth, from a thousand-year culture to a part of peoples' lives, and become a widespread performing activity. Therefore, recently, the Troupe collaborates to produce transdisciplinary creations and bring this art form to new heights with its vitality and creative approaches. The Troup hopes to create the most refined, traditional, innovative, Taiwanese, international and fascinating avant-garde eastern aesthetic.
2. Strategic Plans
Since its establishment, the Acrobatics Troupe has been promoting the art of acrobatics in accordance with the following strategic policies :
(1) Passing on the Tradition to Young Talents
The Acrobatics Troupe is composed of gifted graduates of NTCPA and professional acrobatic artist from other private groups. Since its establishment, the Troupe has dedicated itself to putting on performances, cultivating young talents, while preserving and passing on traditional art to the younger generation.
(2) Adding in Modern and Contemporary Elements
In addition to passing on traditional acrobatic skills, the Troupe also strives to add in modern and contemporary elements, such as drama, dance, and music, into its performance, in the hope of gaining a fresh perspective while lending this art form a unique Taiwanese flavor.
(3) Promoting International Exchanges
In addition to touring around towns and villages in Taiwan to reach a wider audience and promote the art, the Troupe has performed in five continents all over the world. Their visits have not only entertained Taiwanese overseas compatriots, but also created opportunities for Taiwan to cement friendship with its diplomatic allies. As acrobatics can be easily understood by people of all backgrounds and cultures, this sort of performances can be a very effective tool to demonstrate Taiwan's soft power around the globe. The art form can also encourage exchanges between cultures and bring itself on to the world stage.
(4) Seeking Transdisciplinary creation
The Acrobatics Troupe has toured a variety of countries in Europe, America, Asia, Australia, and Africa, at the invitation of numerous governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in recent years. Moreover, the Troupe also traveled to every corner of Taiwan, outer islets included, to give performances to introduce the art form to a wider audience. These efforts have greatly strengthened friendship overseas and successfully promoted cultural exchanges in different parts of the world.
In addition to putting on performance, the Troupe is dedicated to seeking transdisciplinary collaboration, and making new productions. For instance, it launched Fairy Tales and Acrobatics for child audiences in 2015. In 2006, it put on En Vol dans les Etoiles at the Taipei Arts Festival. In 2007, the Troupe worked with French circus artist Philippe Goudard, and jointly put on Transversal Vagabond. In 2008, Love Rhapsody was introduced to the audience. The Troupe has also tried to add theatrical elements, dance, juggling, and magic into their repertoire and produced a series of new shows accordingly, including Say Cheese, New Slides; Clown, Magic, and the Theme Park; and Clown, Magic and the Merry Moments. At the same time, a number of traditional acrobatic shows that demonstrate its traditional characteristics are still on, including The Mysterious Orient; The Fragrant Flowers; In Full Blossom; The Beauty of Taiwan; and A Glimpse of Traditional Operas. In 2020, with the support from the Higher Education Sprout Project of the Ministry of Education, the Troupe invited Fangas Nayaw, Taishin Arts Award and numerous international arts award winner, as director to create an acrobatics-based theatrical work Unknown Aurora. The performance is widely acclaimed and opens up a new world for acrobatic art.
3. Future Prospects
The Acrobatics Troupe will keep promoting the art of acrobatics in the days to come. In the meantime, the Troupe will stay innovative and creative by including modern elements into the traditional art form, in the hope of opening up more possibilities in the future. It will also continue working with professional acrobatic groups overseas, so as to bring the art form to new height while letting the art of Taiwan shine on the world stage.
Traditional Opera Youth Troupe
1. Introduction
Established on March 1, 2016, the NTCPA Traditional Youth Troupe (or the Youth Troupe) put on its first performance on April 26 of the same year. The Troupe is dedicated to cultivating arts talent, promoting traditional operas, and takes the responsibility for passing on, disseminating and innovating. Amid the contemporary trend of versatile and innovative performance as well as localization, the College connects with the workplace, puts students' learning into practice and broadens the prospect of future performer.
The Troupe, as a cultivating unit bonding the College and the workplace, works together with students and alumni to pass on and promote traditional arts, in the hope to expand their professional knowledge and connect them with the industry gradually. By the establishment of the Youth Troupe, the NTCPA intends to make better use of resources, prepare graduates for the workplace, while cultivating well-rounded professionals for the traditional performing arts theater.
2. Strategic Plans
(1) The establishment of the Youth Troupe is aimed to cultivate talented performers and teachers of traditional operas. In addition to professional performance skills, the NTCPA want its graduates to have the capacity to propose performance ideas, create or put on performances independently, know the stagecraft behind the curtains, and understand a thing or two about arts administration. These are the reasons why the Youth Troupe came into being in the first place. By expanding the student's professional knowledge in a wide range of areas while connecting them with the industry, and by providing a stage for graduates to put what they have learned into practice, the Youth Troupe intends to become an incubator cultivating young professionals of traditional operas.
(2) By drafting performance and career plans, the Youth Troupe aims to provide all graduates of the NTCPA an opportunity to demonstrate their professional skills on stage, so that they can enter the employment market as smoothly and seamlessly as possible.
(3) Most of the Youth Troupe's repertoire is one-act plays. However, the Troupe also tries to put on one newly created and complete play every year. By adding elements of modern theater into traditional operas, the Youth Troupe wishes to introduce the beauty of traditional opera to a greater audience.
(4) By holding annual performances and other promotional events, the Troupe aims to develop its members' ability to innovate and create new productions.
(5) By combining classes with professional performances, the Troupe intends to address the mismatch between the classroom and the workplace by building a strong bond between the two.
(6) By establishing a connection between the classroom and the theatre, the Troupe creates favorable opportunities for its members to work with other performing arts groups in Taiwan in the future.
(7) Creating New Productions and Works
The Troupe integrates the modern theater concepts and applies to the tradition in order to create a series of adaptations: Goddess Amu (2021), Lord Shennong (2020), Wu Daozi (2019), The Tale of Huashan blending Gaojia, Hakka and Taiwanese opera Sister A Da (2018), Treasure Hunt in Penglai – the Tale of Yellow Dragon, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (2017).
(8) Cross-strait Exchanges
The Troupe cooperated with Taiwan Research Institute of Arts in Xiamen to organize the Minnan Traditional Arts Seeds Training Winter Camp in 2017, and the Minnan Traditional Arts Seeds Training – Naamyam Winter Camp in 2018. In 2018, the Troupe worked with Jin Liansheng Gaojia Opera Troupe of Xiamen City, and jointly put on Sister A Da a creation blending Gaojia, Hakka and Taiwanese opera, and participated the Cross-strait Arts Festival 2018 in Xiamen. In 2019, the Troupe attended the 12th China Art Festival in Shanghai.
3. Future Prospects
(1) A model for other performing-arts talent incubator
The Youth Troup has a solid organizational structure. It has been putting on new productions with great success, and has cultivated many talents in the field of traditional opera. The Troupe can really serve as a model for other institutions that aim to develop the potential of young performers.
(2) A model facilitating cooperation between school and the workplace
The Youth Troupe is dedicated to facilitating cooperation between academia and the industry. By establishing a connection between the classroom and the theater, the Troupe strives to make it possible for its graduates to enter the performing arts employment market smoothly and seamlessly.
(3) A model encouraging innovative productions and creations of performing arts
By encouraging cooperation and exchanges between teachers of the NTCPA and directors of the Troupe, the Youth Troupe seeks to continue making and launching experimental and creative new productions or training programs, in the hope of becoming a model for innovation in the field of performing arts.
Contact
Pei-ying LI
Director of International Exchange Division
Office of Research and Development
National Taiwan College of Performing Arts
Address: No. 177, Section 2, Neihu Road, Neihu District, Taipei, 11464, Taiwan R.O.C.
Tel.: +886 (02) 2796-2666 #1143
E-mail: free666@tcpa.edu.tw