Greater Bay Area (GBA) Cantonese Opera Development Alliance

The establishment of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Cantonese Opera Development Alliance was announced on December 10, 2022. Comprising members from academic institutions, organisations and bodies, the Alliance aims to forge close collaboration among GBA counterparts; foster academic, cultural and arts exchange, and promote the preservation of Cantonese opera through its connections with the world. XICH (previously RCTCO) serves as the secretariat of the Alliance. To achieve this goal, we will devote ourselves to the following areas:

1. Professional Training: Cultivate a new generation of Cantonese opera performers who are talented, possess a combination of moral integrity and artistic talent, and have the ambition to develop their own styles.
2. Audience Building: Nurture and develop an audience that has a knowledge and passion for Cantonese opera, so as to provide constructive feedback to the performers.
3. School and Community Education: Introduce high-quality Cantonese opera education programs in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to cultivate future audiences; and organize Cantonese opera training courses in the community to nurture teenagers who are talented and aspire to become professional actors.
4. Cultural Exchange: According to the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan, using Hong Kong as a base and Cantonese opera as an artistic medium for cultural exchange with the international community.
5. Government Policy and Support: Propose constructive suggestions to the government to assist the inheritance and development of Cantonese opera in the Greater Bay Area.

As of now, 18 units have joined the Alliance, including (in alphabetical order):

• Cantonese Opera Protection Center of China, Guangzhou Research Institute of Literary and Artistic
• Centre for Chinese Music Studies, Department of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Chinese Opera Artists (Macau) Association
• Dongguan Cantonese Opera Library
• Excellent Traditional Culture (Cantonese Opera) Inheritance Base of Ordinary Colleges and Universities of the Ministry of Education, Xinghai Conservatory of Music
• Foshan Cantonese Opera Troupe
• Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute
• Guangdong Dance and Drama College
• Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theater
• Guangzhou Opera House
• Hung Sin-nui Arts Centre
• Liwan District Youth Palace
• School of Chinese Opera, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
• School of Music, South China Normal University
• Shunde Education Development Centre
• The Promotion Society of Guangdong Opera
• Xiqu and Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre, The Education University of Hong Kong (Alliance Secretariat)
• Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District