Riding on its past success, the “Macao City Fringe Festival” – the largest cultural carnival of Macao – once again comes to town with a diverse and culturally rich programme of people-led events that promises boundless enjoyment in arts and culture from November 1 to 16.
In line with its consistent objective of enhancing cultural creativity, the Festival this year continues to disseminate its core message that the places where we live, work and breathe can in fact be performance backdrops, that every one of us is an artist, and audiences are everywhere, as a means to enrich our local cultural and artistic vivacity.
“Fringe Festivals” are very popular in countries and regions that aim for cultural development, and tend to be a little different from traditional art festivals.
The core focus is usually: creativity, the development of post/modern art, a reflection on current life and behaviour, the participation of general citizens, and emphasizing the unique characters of the city.
The Macao City Fringe Festival has been injecting artistic vitality into our city since its formation in 1999. The much-anticipated event this year celebrates its 14th edition, and continues with its effort to foster more local talent and to create a unique, vivid art scene that truly belong to Macao.
It has been the standard practice to organize the Festival with the contribution and collaboration of local art groups since 2007.
Besides cultivating local art, the Festival also attracts tourists who together with locals can enjoy a wide variety of programme events, ranging from art installations, dance performances and talks, as well as workshops and a special art party with live music and painting.
There will be plenty of overseas performing groups and artists from Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan and other regions, jointly participating in this cultural event.
Highlights will include: “Private Dance” and typography and urban art “Uwaga” from Portugal; puppet art “Mo Gu Notes” and the exhibition “Boots – Playing Drama” from Taiwan; “Poet & Song in a Night Boat” from Liaoning province China; and “Peep Dance” from Israel.
The Festival this year has its event calendar synchronised with other on-going cultural activities of the month, including the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival, the Hong Kong People’s Fringe Festival and the Guangdong Modern Dance Week, in the hope of initiating a cultural dialogue between local and overseas artists, and connecting with neighbouring art scenes for a more vibrant local art community.
Last but not least, the Festival will culminate in the joyful Fringe Parade, led by local groups together with teams invited from Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival. Performers will parade from the Ruins of St. Paul’s to Leal Senado Square, bringing the community into the centre of the Festival and highlighting the creative and artistic efforts of voluntary organisations.
For more details www.macaucityfringe.gov.mo | Enquire: 8988 4000/ 8988 2833 | Ticketing: 2855 5555
