The 30th Macao Arts Festival (MAF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was inaugurated on Friday, 3 May, at 7:40pm, at the lobby of the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam Chon Weng; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Xue Xiaofeng; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Member of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau, Van Mei Lin; the Deputy General Manager of Bank of China (Macau Branch), Geng Wei; the Director and Member of Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Lorman, Lo Song Man; the Vice President of Arts & Culture of MGM, Cristina Kuok; and the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man. A junior lion dance performance by MGM was also held. In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Macao Arts Festival, the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau set up a booth in the lobby of the Macao Cultural Centre to sell philatelic products.
The exquisite philatelic products of the 30th MAF issued by the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau include sets of stamps, souvenir sheets and first day covers, among others. Amongst the souvenirs, the four-stamp set is especially designed using key visuals from previous editions of the MAF to embody the theme of this year’s MAF “a tribute to the classics”. The souvenir sheet carries the key visual of this year’s MAF, bubbles in motion, which constructs a sense of infinite space on a sheet of paper and is composed in such a way that the number “30” suggestively appears to celebrate the 30th anniversary.
In order to celebrate its 30th anniversary and express gratitude to artists for their effort across various platforms over the years, this edition of the MAF is themed “a tribute to the classics”, hoping to pay tribute to all classics and show its determination to create new classics. By presenting classic productions to the audience, the Festival will continue to inject cultural vitality into Macao. The event kicks off with the show Vertikal by French hip-hop troupe CCN Créteil & Val-de-Marne/ Cie Käfig, on 3 and 4 May, in which dancers present light and elegant vertical dance movements that go beyond the limits of gravity. From 3 to 10 May, Curry Bone’s Travel 2019 by Step Out takes the audience on a walking path. Spectators who bought tickets for this show should arrive at the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building, located at the Tap Siac Square 20 minutes before the show.
On 4 and 5 May, the Ieng Chi Dance Association and the Concept Pulse Studio present Wonder.Land, an original dance production developed over the past two years. The Cantonese opera Mu Guiying Breaks through the Tianmen Gate by Cantonese Opera Juvenile’s Troupe of General Union of Neighbours’ Association of Macao, takes to the stage on 4 May. On 9 May, the concert An Alpine Symphony by the Macao Orchestra and the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, encourages artistic and cultural exchange in the Greater Bay Area.
In addition, the organizer has launched three types of exquisite and practical souvenirs, including a long umbrella, an A4 size clipboard and a multifunctional bag. Souvenirs and discount packages are available for sale, subject to availability, during the performance period at the Macao Cultural Centre, Old Court Building, Macao Contemporary Centre – Navy Yard No. 2, Cinema Alegria, Ox Warehouse and the Macao Conservatory.
Only a limited number of tickets are available for some of the programmes, and therefore the public is advised to purchase tickets as soon as possible. For more information about the programmes, ticket purchase and other discounts, please check the 30th 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.
