The Creative Director of Ieng Chi Dance Association, Ms. Chloe Lao Cho Wa, was recently a guest lecturer at IFTM. Her presentation, divided into 2 sessions held at separate locations, focused on the development and impact of cultural heritage and contemporary arts in Macao. It took place on 20 and 21 September.
IFTM Lecturer Mr. Kelvin Leong Ka Hou hosted the event. It was put on for Year 1 undergraduates attending the Cultural and Heritage Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme, as part of the course Introduction to Cultural and Heritage Management.
Ieng Chi Dance Association is a non-profit organisation based in Macao and founded in 1998. Its mission is to promote performing arts, providing a platform for artistic exchange, and contributing to the development of Macao’s contemporary dance scene.
Ms. Lao is a yoga instructor as well as a choreographer and independent producer of dance shows in a variety of genres. Besides her role at Ieng Chi Dance Association, she is the Director of Concept Pulse Studio.
The first session of the guest lecture took place at the Inspiration Building on the Mong-Há Campus. Its theme was cultural management, with Ms. Lao focusing her presentation on 3 areas: management of a dance company, experimental theatre, and promotion of international collaborations. According to her, these areas were critical for the development of Macao’s cultural sector.
The “Heritage Stroll Festival” in Macao was the subject of a case study presented by Ms. Lao during the first session of the lecture. It helped her to emphasise how a successful event must rely on a number of people with different roles, and involve a wide network of stakeholders. Artists, heritage ambassadors, volunteers and local residents were all key elements for the success of the dance performances in the “Heritage Stroll Festival”, she explained.
As part of her presentation, Ms. Lao highlighted the importance of building links between stakeholders in the cultural sector. In comparison to Hong Kong, Macao traditionally had a shortage of volunteers to support local cultural events, Ms. Lao said. To address this issue, time and investment were required, she suggested.
The second session of the guest lecture began with students getting a tour of the Black Box Theatre in the Old Court Building. There, they were welcomed by Mr. John Vu Kao Sio, a technician from the Division of Performing Arts at the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the body that manages the venue. Mr. Vu elaborated on the concept of black box theatre as an immersive form of the performing arts, increasing the audience’s interaction with productions.
Students then visited the studio at Ieng Chi Dance Association. There, Ms. Lao gave an introduction on the facilities of the dance association, and led a workshop involving the participants.
According to IFTM Lecturer Mr. Leong, the 2-session guest lecture presented students with a unique opportunity to visit consecutively a government-run cultural venue and a facility operated by a non-profit organisation. He added that the activity offered participants insights from cultural sector professionals, allowing undergraduates to improve their knowledge of cultural and heritage management.
