The 28th Macao Arts Festival (MAF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was inaugurated on 28 April, at 7:40pm in the lobby of the Macao Cultural Centre. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Alexis, Tam Chon Weng; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao S.A.R., Xue Xiaofeng; the Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao S.A.R., Wang Dong; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Leung Hio Ming; the Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Cecilia, Tse Heng Sai; the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. (TDM), Manuel Gonçalves Pires Júnior; the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Corporate responsibility of MGM, Sarah Rogers; the Deputy General Manager of Bank of China Limited (Macau Branch), Ip Sio Kai; and the Vice President of Air Macau Company Limited, Liao Hanxi. This edition of the MAF presents 25 extraordinary shows and exhibitions as well as an outreach programme, in a total of over 100 activities, leading the audience to explore various possibilities of spaces by means of different art manifestations.
This edition of the MAF, featuring “Heterotopia” as theme, establishes, through texts, stories, images, music and imagery, a diversified space away from reality yet closely connected to it, bringing new possibilities to existence. The opening show Play and Play: An Evening of Movement and Music on 28 April featured a reinterpretation of Schubert and Ravel’s classics by internationally acclaimed North-American modern dance company Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane; the same company also presents the hypnotizing performance A Letter to My Nephew on 1 May. From 28 to 30 April, four sessions of the soundscape theatre play Back to the Catastrophic Typhoon of 1874, which original novel was awarded at the Macao Literature Competition, recreate daily life sounds in a real life space allowing the audience to explore their own imaginative spaces. On 3 May, the concert The Soul of Macao by the Macao Chinese Orchestra, leads the audience on a journey between Macao and Beijing opera, the East and the West, in its representation on stage of a real, historic story of personal romance and love for the homeland. A rich variety of programmes leads the audience to explore the unlimited possibilities of heterogeneous spaces in arts.
In order to promote and encourage local creation, this year the MAF invited a young local illustrator to design three exclusive souvenirs based on the theme “Heterotopia” in a lively and creative style, including card holders, pocket mirrors and plastic water bottles. Souvenirs are available on sale from 28 April at the Macao Cultural Centre, Dom Pedro V Theatre and Old Court Building, with various discount packages.
Only a limited number of tickets are available for some of the programmes, and therefore the public is advised to purchase their tickets as soon as possible. For more information about the programmes, ticket purchase and other discounts, please check the 28th Macao Arts Festival Booklet; the booklet PDF version can be downloaded at www.icm.gov.mo/fam, follow the MAF’s page on Facebook or subscribe to IC’s WeChat account. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Online ticket reservation: www.macauticket.com.