The 33rd Macao Arts Festival (MAF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from its Portuguese acronym), has been concluded, presenting 18 performances and one art exhibition as well as outreach activities, in a total of over 100 activities, bringing art into every corner of the city.
This edition of the MAF was once again widely publicised in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In addition to the online promotion by the media and art critics from the region, the MAF also carried interviews and reports to increase its reputation and attract a wider audience to participate in the artistic and cultural activities in Macao. During this year’s edition, various media representatives and art critics from the Greater Bay Area came to Macao to cover the event. The China Media Group (CMG) Radio The Greater Bay specially produced the two-hour special programme “Great! The Greater Bay Area - Knowing Macao through Art” through media convergence, in which the hosts walked around the neighbourhood and interviewed various participating art troupes, in order to promote Macao through the integration of culture and tourism. The programme was broadcast by the “Radio The Greater Bay” on the WeChat Channel and Weibo page, the CMG mobile application, and the new media platforms of the Macao Daily News and TDM-Teledifusão de Macau. The MAF seeks to take Macao’s unique characteristics and rich cultural resources to create more exchange platforms so as to make an active contribution to the development of a cultural bay.
Promotion and ticket sales services were available at designated venues at higher education institutions and integrated resorts, in order to reach an even broader public. In addition, various outreach activities including “Meet-the-Artist” sessions,one backstage tour, talks, workshops, one exhibition and screenings of international stage performances, were well received, enriching the cultural life of the public and enhancing the cultural atmosphere of the community. The organiser also promoted the MAF from multiple perspectives through electronic and new media platforms. Among the activities, two thematic games on new media platforms received an enthusiastic response, attracting over 1,000 participants.
Themed “The Long Artistic Journey”, this edition of the MAF aimed to encourage the public to go along a life journey with art, allowing them to take in warmth and energy of life. The MAF has adhered to the mission of fostering local productions while introducing more quality programmes to enhance its international influence. Half of the programmes in this year’s Festival were local productions, promoting the professionalism of local art groups and encouraging them to have more extensive exchanges with foreign artists and art groups. In addition, the visual arts exhibition “Fang Lijun: The Light of Dust” will be held until 11 June. All are welcome to visit the exhibition at the Macao Museum of Art.
This edition of the MAF was strongly supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, TDM-Teledifusão de Macau, Air Macau and MGM. It also counted with the cooperation of various banks, credit card partners and media partners, which widely promoted the Festival. In the future, IC will continue to build communication bridges with different regions, and strive to promote in-depth integration in various fields such as cultural tourism through distinctive art and cultural events and festivals, fostering the adequate economic diversification of Macao.