The 2018 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival is under way at the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center in Taipei. This year, 17 performance groups from seven countries are set to showcase their art and craft to the audience in Taiwan.
Members of the Bistritsa Babi, a vocal ensemble from Bulgaria, perform pieces that convey the beauty of everyday work, such as harvesting and knitting. Also on stage is a team of Japanese kabuki theatre performers who tell the stories of a woman who was betrayed by her lover. Imsil Pilbong Nangak, one of South Korea’s most celebrated theatre troupes, presents dances that are inspired by the life of farmers in the countryside.
These are three of the 17 performance groups that are set to showcase their talent at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival. This year marks the first time that performers from outside the Asia-Pacific region are sharing the stage with local and regional performers. In addition to performing on stage, the artists will also conduct workshops and seminars to give participants an in-depth look at their craft.
Culture Minister Cheng Li-chiun said that traditional arts serve as a self-portrait, allowing people of a given country to clearly see their own identity and heritage. She said the arts festival not only promotes artistic exchanges between Taiwan and the rest of the world, it also helps preserve our universal artistic heritage. The 2018 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival will last through November 3.
