How to understand Zuni (III) Exchange How to understand Zuni (III) Exchange How to understand Zuni (III) Exchange

Intercultural exchange is another key channel of innovation and a keyword to access the world of Zuni. For decades, Zuni has established global connections and creative dialogues across regions, fields, and disciplines, emphasising the ability of the theatre to create an experience that happens in real time and in a shared space and yet can simultaneously cut across time and space.

How does Zuni establish connections through cultural exchange? Zuni’s multiple exchange programmes and festivals have strived to establish links across cities and city-based cultural organisations – as opposed to nation-states and governmental institutions – to foster city-to-city creative exchanges in the Asia Pacific region but also between Asia and Europe; for example, through collaborations with partners in Berlin and Zurich. The large-scale transnational initiative Hong Kong Belt Road City-to-City Cultural Exchange Conference has brought together creatives, critics, scholars, and policymakers from all over the Belt and Road region (Europe, Asia, the Middle East) to develop strategies and frameworks for cultural exchange and cultural development, including the development of the traditional performance cultures of Asia through technological innovation and aesthetic crossover. The project has produced yet another iteration of the One Table Two Chairs collaboration, integrated with experiments in the Tech Lab.

◤Notes from Editor
Immediately after the group’s establishment, Zuni represented Hong Kong in the 1st Asian Theatre Festival and Conference held in Taipei. Zuni has become a primary force in advocating and developing Hong Kong’s international cultural exchange strategy and cross-regional network since then. It has also led a cultural exchange strategy that takes the “city” as a unit, triggering a tri-cross platform of cross-city, cross-field and cross-cultural exchange. Over the last 40 years, Zuni has visited more than 80 cities in Europe, Asia, and America for cultural exchange activities and performances. Below are several exchange programmes Zuni has presented over the years.

“One Table Two Chairs” performances share the same stage set of one table and two chairs. International artists from different cultural backgrounds are invited to create a performance up to 20 minutes and with two actors. There’s no limit of genre and theatre and dance have both been included. Performances have also incorporated cross-media elements like visual art and installation. Since 1997, “One Table Two Chairs” has become the exchange format of Zuni’s “Journey to the East” series and has focused on cross-cultural observation and discussion. Toured cities include Tokyo, Bangkok, Seoul, Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Macau, Taipei, Mumbai, and cities in Germany.

Zuni initiated the “Hong Kong | Taipei | Shanghai | Shenzhen City-to-City Cultural Exchange Conference” in 1997, and held more than 20 annual conferences since then. As one of the first city-based, inter-Chinese exchange projects, it has now expanded to a cross-city and cross-cultural exchange platform, reaching beyond governmental and educational institutions, and other sectors. Reports issued every year analyse the data, policies and budget of cultural exchange activities between Hong Kong and other participating cities.

In 2000, Zuni co-presented the Festival of Vision, the first ever large-scale cultural exchange between Asia and Europe after the Hong Kong handover. More than 1,000 artists from 35 different cities in Asia and Europe participated in this large-scale event, crossing disciplines and regions. Economic, political and educational aspects were examined and explored through the perspective of culture and creative works. The Festival was a pioneering experiment in contemporary culture.

Toki (Crested Ibis) is an endangered bird species in Asia. On the occasion of the 2010 Shanghai EXPO, the Japanese government invited Danny Yung to create a crossover performance of Kun and Noh, using Toki and environmental protection as the main themes. Later on, Danny Yung used Toki as a metaphor for performing artists to discuss the heritage and development of traditional arts and founded the “Toki Project”. Starting from 2012, Zuni collaborated with the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group in organising the “Toki Art Festival”. The festival gathered contemporary and traditional Asian performing art masters and young Kun opera artists to expand the critical development of regional culture in Asia through cross-over, cross-cultural communication and collaboration. Artists from Tokyo, Beijing, Nanjing, Bangkok, Singapore, and Denpasar, and experts in Noh theatre, Kun opera, Thai Traditional Dance, and contemporary theatre and dance participated in art exchange events in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Nanjing, Taipei, Tokyo, Yokohama, London, Oslo, Berlin, Hannover, Toronto and Ann Arbor.

Zuni initiated the Conference for three consecutive years, from 2017 to 2019. The Conference is a network of cities from the Belt and Road region. Its aim is to promote arts and cultural exchanges and collaborations among the respective cities, and to provide an impetus for developing a new paradigm for cross-cultural interaction between Asia and Europe.

The conference included forums, workshops, cultural exchange network research, executive education programmes, master classes and the One Belt One Road Experimental Theatre programme. Furthermore, Zuni arranged cultural study trips for local young culture and art practitioners, visiting Belt-Road cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Bangkok, Hua Hin and others. Originating in the One Belt One Road Experimental Theatre programme, The Interrupted Dream series has been created and performed by Asian performing artist from different regions and creative backgrounds. Versions of this production have toured Singapore, Yogyakarta, Bali, Jakarta and Warsaw.