Research Projects

Cantonese opera is facing a crisis of transmission. Traditionally, Cantonese opera employs oral tradition in transmitting their artistry to the new generation. Learning occurs in a master-apprentice relationship, wherein apprentices serve as followers of the master to develop personal artistry through informal tuition. Apart from artistry, the apprentice will learn about the socio-cultural context of the genre through long-term immersion during the apprenticeship. In recent decades, training artists for the profession has been influenced by the Western conservatory tradition. Different aspects of the genre are taught by different specialists during a limited length of time. Learning is limited to knowledge and skills instead of socio-cultural practices and creativity in artistry, which take time and a specific context to learn. Teaching Cantonese opera in Hong Kong schools has been encouraged to promote the Chinese culture. However, major problems include the lack of systematic pedagogy. Thus, this study addresses the issue of transmission of Cantonese opera in professional training as well as in school education. This 20-month study will adopt a mixed-method approach in three phases. In Phase One, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with five artists with backgrounds in oral tradition and five artists trained in conservatories. Researchers will also undertake research visits to institutions of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province to interview teachers and students after class observations and seek their views on the characteristics of their training programs. The findings will help in formulating pedagogy models of oral and conservatory traditions to provide a theoretical framework for the next phase. Phase Two will be a multi-case study that investigates the teaching effectiveness of tutors with both pedagogy models in two primary and two secondary schools with Cantonese opera programs. The researchers will observe the classes, collect program documents, and interview school teachers, Cantonese opera tutors, and students about the pedagogy and learning process. Video recording of the teaching and learning process will be undertaken for repeated observation, analysis, and triangulation with the interviews. A questionnaire on how students perceive the pedagogy will also be administered to all participating students. Based on the findings from previous phases, a new pedagogy model for the teaching and learning of Cantonese opera in nurturing artists from school to professional levels will be developed in Phase Three. The model will shed light on developing a new pedagogy system for nurturing professional artists of Cantonese opera with personal styles and artistic creativity.