Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong is a professional Cantonese opera educational institution in Hong Kong and an educational branch of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong. Its goal is to cultivate a new generation of talents and promote the sustainable development of Cantonese opera art. In 2009, the academy reorganized its courses according to the objective environment and needs of the market. The main courses include: "Youth Cantonese opera Actor Training Class" targeted at teenagers, different on-the-job actor training courses co-organized with partners, and Cantonese opera art popularization courses co-organized with different primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions. The achievements of college graduates are also recognized by people in the industry. Many students who have graduated or are studying have been hired by business classes.
In 1979, the 19th The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong Board of Directors decided to open a Cantonese opera training school, and received fundraising support from Guangdong Cantonese opera colleagues who visited Hong Kong. A preparatory committee was established in September of that year, with members including Huang Yan, Liang Hanwei, Liu Yuefeng, Law Ka-Ying, Li Qifeng, Chen Chang, Mak Wai-Man, Ren Daxun, etc. officially enrolled students in early 1980.
When it was first established, the administrative structure of the college was in charge of the overall affairs of the school. The dean and deputy deans were responsible for administrative affairs. In daily administration, the academic director and the school dean were responsible for all faculty and staff. The college also established honorary school directors and consultants. The instructors when it was first established included Yang Jianhua, Wang Yuesheng, Ren Daxun, Mak Wai-Man, Chen Min, Li Yanshuang, Zeng Yunu, Guo Hongbin, etc.
At that time, the academy's curriculum was divided into three subjects: singing, acting, and basic skills. The academic system was divided into two years. However, due to the huge expenditure, it was in a state of loss every year. Therefore, it was held for five years and was suspended twice due to excessive losses. Despite this, the first five Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong also produced many famous actors such as Gai Minghui, Tang Meiling, Wei Chunying, and Liao Guosen.
In 1996, Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong was officially independently registered as a non-profit charity organization, and received funding from the Urban Council and the Arts Development Council. It jointly organized the "Cantonese opera Training Certificate Course" with the School of Continuing Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was organized by Wong Ming-Chuen Miss Chan served as the honorary director, Mr. Leung Han-wai as the artistic director, and Professor Leung Pui-jin as the curriculum consultant. In the second year, Miss Chan Kim-sing served as the honorary director, and took classes at Ko Shan Theatre under the Urban Council and Ngau Chi Wan Civic Center, and held internships and graduation performances at Ko Shan Theatre every year. At the beginning, there were four classes in total, including junior and senior classes, with 110 students. Later, it was expanded to a three-year system with five classes in total.
In addition to the original singing, acting, and basic skills subjects, the current teaching curriculum also added Cantonese opera history, Cantonese opera makeup, and basic skills coaching for the first time. The instructors include Au Wenfeng, Mak Wai-Man, Xu Shicheng, Zheng Wenying, Wang Jialing, Zhou Lili, etc. Luo Hong serves as the coordinator, Chen Shouren serves as the course director, and Au Wenfeng also serves as the deputy course director.
In 1998, based on the consideration of cooperation in teaching, Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong co-sponsored the "Cantonese opera Training Certificate Course" with The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The teaching courses also added singing coaching subjects and Cantonese opera percussion and drum subjects. The teaching and administrative staff have also been slightly changed, with Chen Shouren serving as the course consultant, Liu Biman as the administrative coordinator, Ou Wenfeng as the course director, and additional singing tutor Chen Huihong and gong and drum instructor Song Xiangmin were hired.
In 2004, Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong independently organized the "Cantonese opera Training Certificate Course" and opened an independent gong and drum course. The teaching and administrative staff changed significantly. Chen Jiansheng serves as the honorary director, Liang Hanwei serves as the artistic director, and Ou Wenfeng serves as the administrative coordinator. The instructors include Cantonese opera teacher Ou Wenfeng; gong and drum teacher Jiang Cheng; singing teacher Mak Wai-Man; acting teachers He Jiayao and Deng Xuewei; and basic skills teachers Zhou Zhenbang and Dai Chengkun. In 2005, Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong added an instrumental accompaniment course, taught by teacher Mak Wai-Man; in 2006, Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong added a screenwriting class, taught by Ou Wenfeng, and opened a community Cantonese Opera Academy to offer a series of short courses.
The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong The 33rd session Board of Directors took office in July 2007, and most of the directors also served as the new school directors of the college. In order to adapt to the changes of the times, meet the needs of society, and keep pace with the times, the college repositioned and formulated strategies in the 2008-09 academic year in order to achieve new developments and breakthroughs in Cantonese opera education.
After repeated discussions, the school board of directors of the college decided this year to retain the music accompaniment class and gong and drum class that were very popular among students in the past, as well as to reorganize the screenwriting class; on the other hand, the college is committed to providing in-depth training for working actors who have taken Cantonese opera as a career. This year's course structure is named "Cantonese opera Intensive Study Course" and "Skills Improvement Plan" respectively.
In addition to the school directors leading the reform of the college, the school board also hired Mr. Ding Yu, a senior arts administrator, as the director-general and Mr. Lu Hongguang, a senior actor, as the curriculum director to assist in promoting and planning the college's courses.
"Cantonese opera Intensive Study Course" is a refined basic study, including a gong and drum class, a music accompaniment class, and a screenwriting class, with a total of 9 classes and a total of 136 students. Among them, the screenwriting class has the famous screenwriter Mr. Yip Siu-tak as the main instructor and cooperates with the Chinese Education Research Center of the Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong. It is hoped that the screenwriting methods of Cantonese opera can be organized in detail and become more systematic.
The "Skills Upgrading Scheme" is sponsored by the Labor and Welfare Bureau, and the courses are designed for actors who are new to the profession Cantonese opera. The basic concepts of the course are what professional actors should understand. Since the students are new professional actors and have some stage experience, but have different training backgrounds, this course will focus on teaching. Let it improve from practice to theory, and then return to practice and firmly grasp it.
The "Skills Upgrading Plan" thus opened this year Cantonese opera stage second-hand skills, Cantonese opera singing recitation training, blanket kung fu (tumbling and falling Kung Fu) practice, Cantonese opera northern stage target training, Cantonese opera southern stage traditional performance.
Cantonese Opera Academy of The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong In order to adapt to the changes of the times, meet the needs of society, and keep pace with the times, we will reposition and formulate strategies starting from the 2008-09 school year in order to achieve new developments and breakthroughs in Cantonese opera education. Currently, the Academy receives administrative funding from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and continues to offer courses on different topics to strengthen the training of current actors, especially new actors, thereby improving the current Cantonese opera performance level and attracting more new generation audiences. Among them, the "Youth Cantonese opera Actor Training Class" is a four-year training program, aiming to train young people aged 13 to 20 who are interested in joining the Cantonese opera industry. It is taught by The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong professional instructors and senior actors. It uses a step-by-step training method to train the next generation of Cantonese opera acting successors. Graduates can directly join the Cantonese opera industry, or they can apply for and advance to Cantonese opera of university courses.
The four-year training course is taught by professional instructors and senior actors in the Cantonese opera industry. It provides training in five aspects: singing skills, basic skills, blanket skills, target skills and performance skills, in a step-by-step and talent-based approach.
This course has so far had five graduates. Graduates with development potential include: Tam Ying Lun, Liang Xinyi, Wu Lixi, Wu Qianheng, Kuang Zihuang, Liang Zhiqi, Jiang Junjie, Liang Feitong, Yuan Xuehui, Luo Yaobang, Lui Zhifeng, Lin Beijia, Li Zirui, Li Qingyin, Su Yuqiao, Li Ziyue, Wen Zixiong, Xie Shaoqi, etc.
Since 2010, the college and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Lui Yun Choi Memorial Secondary School have jointly organized the Cantonese opera teaching collaboration project, which has included Cantonese opera art into the formal art curriculum of junior high schools for the first time.
In 2011, the College jointly organized the "Cantonese opera Introduction to Art" course with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to promote Cantonese opera education to tertiary institutions.
Starting from the 2012 school year, the college and Po Leung Kuk have become partners to jointly implement the junior secondary Cantonese opera curriculum, which is implemented in the secondary level of Li Cheng Pik Secondary School and Tong Nai Kam Junior College respectively. In addition, the college has successively organized different Cantonese opera professional courses to enhance the artistic skills of Cantonese opera practitioners in various fields.
