Theater director Wang Chong met with the Korean audience when he virtually visited the Fifth Chinese Play Reading Performance, and I had a conversation with him about the Chinese performing arts sector and performing artists since the beginning of the pandemic. Wang Chong, who is more active with his work outside mainland China than inside it, has shared his experience of working outside China, and the current situation of the creative environment for the Chinese performing arts and how the younger generation is entering the performing arts sector. He tactfully touched upon sensitive issues including government support and censorship, giving us a chance to have a peek at the challenges for a modern Chinese theater director who is living in the same era.

The creative environment for the performing arts in China since the beginning of the pandemic

I have seen many of your works over time. I remember that your performances were mainly presented outside China. Are you still more active outside China or do you focus on working inside the country?

It’s been 10 years since I started focusing on working outside China. After the pandemic started, I did some online work in China too. As I was living through the COVID-19 pandemic, I realized that any place can become seats for the audience. In order to make a conceptual point through this new type of work, we carried out production, rehearsal, and performance completely online and completely live. And to emphasize this, we intentionally cast a performers who was based in Wuhan, the epiccenter that was still in strict lockdown. That was back in early 2020. Now in 2022, everything went back to how it used to be in 2020, if not worse in my opinion. Because there are no theater activities in Shanghai or Beijing. In China, works are created in Beijing and Shanghai, before getting sold to other cities. Therefore, stopping theater in Beijing and Shanghai has had a huge impact.

I am very curious how independent artists survived during the pandemic. There have been government initiatives to provide support for artists in Korea and some European countries. How was China on this front?

Surviving must have been difficult for most artists. For the last two years, China has experienced some capitalistic failures. Movies and theater must have gone through the worst period in decades. Since 2020, government-led funding have focused on supporting performances that had already been produced rather than creating new works. Basically, it means that the government recognized the crisis and injected resources into the public and national groups in order to support its own people’s livelihood. National arts groups and theaters, including the National Theater Company of China have a huge number of actors and staff members working under them. Therefore, the government must have had their hands full supporting them.

As you must be well aware, many theaters in China were run by city or provincial governments before. Years later the sector privatized but still they receive their annual budgets from the government. Judging from your answers we heard earlier today, I guess there is no government support whatsoever for the survival of independent groups or artists.

Correct. The National Arts Fund offers money for production. Therefore, it is mostly used for art works and professionals within the system. Registering as a non-profit organization is not impossible in China but very challenging. Of course, we think that our society really needs the few independent artists. Art is about thinking individually, so it needs greater independence. I think you know many true creators who are at the forefront of creating new art in China. However, I think the government support for them is still not enough. Some actors have to take up side jobs that are not acting, such as food delivery to survive the pandemic.

You could say that it is an environment where independent operation is very difficult unless you belong to a major organization. I heard the news about TAO Dance Theater’s recent closure. A financial issue must have been one of the causes. If the Chinese government funding does not work for artists who work independently without being affiliated to a national art organization, how does one get a chance to make your own artwork since the pandemic began?

There is a little chance for an independent artist to apply for the National Arts Fund. One can get the chance for the grant, but theoretically one has to register as a for-profit company and verify that one is responsible for that company. In other words, the independent artists have to prove that they will not run away with the grant before they can apply. Therefore, a company is essential.

How young generations enter the performing arts sector

Can we assume that you are an established artist? I think that you are. I think it might be easier for you to get such funding. However, how is the situation for younger generations than you?

I am honored that you think of me as a firmly established director. However, it is hard to say that that is where I stand in China. There still is a binary classification system in the Chinese arts sector. So-called “mainstream” artists belong to the institutions. And depending on the years of their service or awards they received, they are classified into first tier director, second tier director, first tier actor, second tier actor, etc. It could be said that I am a director that doesn’t exist in the records because I don’t belong to an organization. There are festivals or platforms for new artists where young artists can present their works. R.A.W! (Rising Artists’ Works) organized by Shanghai Arts Festival, Wuzhen Theatre Festival and Emerging Theatre Artists’ Competition are good examples of where young artists can get an opportunity to present their new works. I think there definitely have been improvements compared to when I started my creative activities 15 years ago.

Just as in Korea, there are many artists who graduated from art schools in China. After their graduation, they need more specific ways to become professional artists. Many festivals arrange programs that incubate young generation artists for the same reason. How do you think the newly emerging Chinese artists are entering the performing arts sector?

I also did not major in a related subject in China. Realistically speaking, it is difficult to work in the sector in China unless you graduate from the theater academies. I studied Law and Economics in Peking University. It was difficult for me to start working in the sector just because I experienced theater during my college years or because I like it. To make an application to a platform for emerging artists, one has to present one’s resume, and the platform reviews to find out whether the applicant studied related subjects. Because they think the applicant has no credit unless they have professional training. The platform prefers those who majored in theater. I watched a lot of theater plays because I grew fond of them when I was in university, but to enter the performing arts sector, I needed an entry ticket that is a diploma. So I studied theater at University of Hawaii.

In western countries, it is very rare to see one art director take charge of more than one festival or organization. However, in China, one art director takes charge of many festivals and theaters.

That is the case. In the Chinese system, we can say that the winner takes it all. If you understand this aspect, you understand China. It is never an equal society.

Working abroad and international exchange

You are getting more commissions from international festivals or venues. I wonder what the differences are. Tell us if there are differences in aspects such as a theme based approach.

I can only talk about my own experience, but there are many things you cannot talk about in China. I had to make works that are not political. Because you wouldn’t have an opportunity to present your work otherwise. I once tried to present in China Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2.0, a work that I had previously presented at a festival outside China. However, it was full of kisses and the Chinese producers rejected it saying it would be too difficult to put it on a stage because of censorship.

I think Chinese audience would have liked it.

I think they certainly would. We yearn for new things but censorship is a whole other story. For example, the Korean movie Parasite was received very well by the Chinese audience, but it was not possible to be presented in China due to censorship.

I think that’s why there is something special that your work conveys. At this year’s Chinese Play Reading Symposium, you said “When comparing different regions, Shanghai presents more experimental works than Beijing does, and Beijing tends to focus more on classics.” After hearing that, I was reminded of a few of your works. And I still think that you are the director who can do the most amazing experiments. I am really looking forward to seeing what works you have in the plan. Can you tell us if there are any?

You are right. To me, Beijing is the root of Chinese experimental theater. My plan for the near future is to finish creating Made In China 2.0, a solo work presented at the Asia TOPA as a work-in-progress. I will do rehearsals with my colleagues from Australia in November, then I will go to Boston afterwards. Rather than focusing only on theater, I want to collaborate with creators from various forms internationally.

I am very much looking forward to that. I hope I can have a chance to bring your work to Seoul. Thank you for giving us a long interview and telling us interesting stories.

What you have shared today gave us a lot to think about. Thank you. I hope to see you again.