We are a collective team from Macau and Taiwan, aim ourselves to be professional shadow players. Through this Chinese traditional art form and its technique, we hope to express not only ancient but also contemporary context to international audiences.
Creative Team
Producer Kuong Wa Fun, Erik (Macao) Erik is an independent producer of interdisciplinary and intercultural projects. A member of "Asian Producers' Platform". He has worked as programmer and festival producer in the cultural department of Macao government for more than a decade. He has produced fringe festivals, arts festivals, film festivals and other public festival events. He recently focuses on curating international arts collaboration projects and producing collaborations between Asians and international artists.
Artistic Director Chiang Chen Yun, Hope (Taiwan/ Macao) She graduated from MFA Theatre Directing of Middlesex University (London). She studied multicultural theatre arts in Madrid, Moscow and Bangkok; meanwhile, actively involving in many international art festivals as director, actress, producer, parade organizer and administrator. She creates stage performances with diverse art elements: physical movement, puppetry, object, visual arts and multimedia technology are the essentials usually seen in her works. Since the end of 2003, she lives in Macau, where she generates theatre works with local and overseas artists as the fundamental member of Point View Art Association and Shadows Art Go Go Theatre
Director of Shadow Play/ Performer Hsiao Meng Tung 蕭孟通(Taiwan) Hsiao MengTung is Hsiao Ju-hsuns elder son. He embarked on his journey to promote the cultural heritage of shadow puppet theatre to carry on his fathers mission. In addition to directing a number of classical episodes, he has collaborated with his students to create new stories for contemporary performances. Since its inception in 1997, the Shadow Legends Drama Group has focused on inspiring the younger generation. Meng Tung has spent an enormous amount of time and effort in engaging adult and young learners in shadow puppet theatre, with special attention given to kindergarten, primary, and middle school students. He has contributed to preserving this ancient form of storytelling and entertainment by way of generating a large number of enthusiasts.
Production Manager/ Performer Hsiao Nai Cheng蕭乃誠 (Taiwan) Hsiao Nai Cheng is Hsiao Ju-hsuns second son. His father and elder brother Meng Tung brought him into the world of shadow play. Nai Cheng is a performer, playwright and videographer dedicated to ensuring authentic inheritance of this unique art form. With the belief that the essence of the cultural heritage will evolve to adapt to changing times and circumstances, he continues to document the experiences and knowledge of shadow play while making innovation efforts. His ultimate goal is to create resonance with audiences of all ages.
Marketing Manager/ Performer Law Siu Yee羅兆儀, Joyee (Taiwan/Hong Kong) Graduated in Taiwan from the Chinese Cultural Universitys Department of Advertising, Joyee changed her career from advertising to visual arts to follow her passion for creativity. Joyee has curated over 20 exhibitions for Taiwanese illustration artist and painter Ewam Lim. She took an interest in exploring the world of shadow puppetry with the Hsiao family in 2018 and has been dedicated to promoting shadow play since.
Performer/ Technician Pun Chi Ngai, Jack (Macao) He started stage acting first, and experienced years after which brought more opportunities in television and film performances. From time to time, he delivered his care to community and animal welfare through participating art projects. Since 2018, he keeps developing skills in the manipulation of shadow play as one of the members in non-profit group Shadows Art Go Go Theatre.
Collaborative Organization
Point View Art Association is a non-profit art and cultural association formed in Macau, with a mandate to produce art and cultural creations, and to conduct education and research. With members from a diverse range of professions, including theatre directors, visual artists, filmmakers, composers, designers and performers, multimedia theatre is one of the company’s most specific aims. The Association strives to discover more possibilities for theatre arts and to expand new visions for audiences through experimental performances, while at the same time works to increase the level of art appreciation in the region by developing exchange and collaboration on art education projects with groups in Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas countries.
Shadow Legends Drama Group 影子傳奇劇團 - 皮影戲 Shadow puppet theatre is commonly known as the naughty monkey show because the figures cut out of leather look like monkeys jumping around. Despite its popularity in the past, the shadow theatre is facing a number of challenges in the modern world, including the fading numbers of master puppeteers, the absence of new generation of practitioners and the increasing unfamiliarity among the general public and the young generation with this traditional theatre. To introduce this traditional cultural heritage to a wider audience with the help of his family and those who are in love with shadow play, Mr. Hsiao Ju-hsun (蕭如訓) founded the Shadow Legends Drama Group in 1997, in the historic Bangka (艋舺) district of Taipei.
The objective of the troupe is to enable the continuity of the cultural heritage and to teach it in schools. Going hand in hand with art classes, folk arts and culture education as well as the integrated curriculum, our school promotion programme has made the schools partnering with us stand out. It has influenced primary and middle school curricula, sparking the interest of children and teenagers in shadow puppetry. Additionally, by helping these schools start campus-based clubs to increase the visibility of puppet show theatre, we have provided their students an opportunity to gain a comprehensive insight into the history of this art form, the threat to its survival and the chance that it can grow from challenges.
On the screen where the interplay between light and shadow creates magical effects, all kinds of fascinating stories are told. With the guidance of the troupe, students learn to adapt existing stories or create their own, make new puppets and stage a shadow puppet show. This is a process in which they can acquire teamwork skills, accumulate positive group experiences and foster trust and mutual support. The immediacy of the live performances also encourages them to be adaptive and flexible. The experiential learning brings them the knowledge that is not contained in books. We aim to transfer the cultural heritage of shadow play to the next generation step by step—through education and our performances—in a way that embraces innovation while preserving the timeless essence of this traditional form of art. We believe this is the way to encourage the participation of the general public and young generation to enable the continuity of the shadow puppet theatre.
Programme contact Erik Kuong [email protected] +44(0)7873 915190 +853 66885469