'Taiwan Week' opens to promote art and cultural exchanges

Taipei, April 14 (CNA) "Taiwan Week," an international platform to promote the country's performing arts and cultural exchanges, opened Sunday with curators from 22 countries around the world participating in this year's event, according to the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH).

"Taiwan Week 2025 is more than an artistic showcase, it is an engagement in meaningful dialogue about society, culture and the future," NTCH General and Artistic Director Liu Yi-ruu (劉怡汝) said at the event's opening ceremony.

This year's program features 15 productions that exemplify innovation in contemporary theater while addressing pressing social and cultural issues, Liu said.

She also said that the biennial event creates opportunities for Taiwanese artists to engage with curators from around the world.

According to the NTCH, the works are based on the themes of transitional justice, gender, self and culture, emerging technologies, and environmental sustainability.

Among the highlights is "The Man Who Couldn't Leave" (無法離開的人), an immersive film that allows the audience to observe their surroundings through the use of virtual reality (VR).

Directed by Singing Chen (陳芯宜), this VR film tells the stories of several political victims from Taiwan's White Terror period, which lasted from 1949 to 1992.

Meanwhile, "The Queen with No Name" (女王的名字) is a theater show created by Wei Hai-min (魏海敏) and Wang Chia-ming (王嘉明) that centers on the Empress Dowager Cixi during the Qing Dynasty.

This year's event welcomes the presence of 48 renowned curators and artistic directors from 22 countries, including Yusuke Hashimoto from Japan and Pedro Penim from Portugal's D. Maria II National Theatre.

In addition to the 15 productions, several forums with keynote speeches focusing on a wide range of issues will also be held during the weeklong event that runs until Saturday.

Taiwan Week is being held at five different venues in Taipei and New Taipei, including the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center and the National Human Rights Museum.