Department of Cultural Affairs

Photo by Taipei City Government
Tian Wei (田瑋), front row, 4^th from left, deputy director of Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, with performing artists.

By Dory Chung
 
The 21st Taipei Arts Festival planned by curator Fukuen Tang, has as its theme “I (do not) Belong To You.” The Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs wants Taipei residents and visitors to this city to attend this festival, hoping it brings art closer to the people, and thus build an inclusive society.
 
The tickets went on sale on May 28th. Those who buy before July 1st can get 25% off. The shows will be from August 3rd to September 8th. There are 13 ticketed programs, 4 free programs, and 2 exhibitions. There are 66 excellent shows in total.


Photo by Taipei City Government
Deputy Director Tian welcomes everyone to the press conference.
 

Photo by Taipei City Government
Festival Curator Fukuen Tang (鄧富權) says that this early promotion is meant to spread greater awareness of this event that features international performing groups.

There will be artists from Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany, Hong Kong, China, and of course Taiwan. They will bring the audience different arts including music, dance, magic, and play.


Photo by Taipei City Government
Deputy Director Tian helps artist Zhou Rui-Xiang perform a magic show.
 
Why is the festival promoted so early this year? The curator Fukuen Tang says: “We wanted the public to be aware of it, so we decided to organize this soft launch, and by July, a series of promotions will intensify the pace. Hopefully, the public will then be more interested in the programs and buy the tickets.”
 
About the idea of “I (do not) Belong To You,” Tang says: “The festival is built on the principle of being considerate to the entire public; this year’s theme expresses how everyone in some way, belongs to the entire festival.”


Photo by Taipei City Government
The director of Taipei Performing Arts Center, Wang Meng (王孟超), explains the theme of this year’s festival.
 
This summer, the Taipei City Government invites everyone to enjoy this arts festival. It’s not a one way performance, but encourages audience participation. Through the interaction and communication between different types of people, we will build a more open-minded society.