Taiwan International Festival of Arts 2023

As the pandemic has waned and borders have reopened, the Taiwan International Festival of Arts (TIFA) looks forward to welcoming all to its 2023 programme. This edition features 19 performances, representing a wide spectrum of voices and perspectives on the issues of the day, including global and regional conflict, the spread of misinformation in the media, and gender and ethnic identity. Here are select highlights of TIFA 2023.

tiaen tiamen Episode 1 by Bulareyaung Dance Company

Acclaimed choreographer Bulareyaung Pagarlava returns with a new, forward-looking work, the title of which derives from the Paiwan phrase tiaen tiamen (“me and us”). The project features collaborations with Golden Melody Award-winning songwriter and performer ABAO and visual artist Reretan Pavavaljung.

Programme Information: https://reurl.cc/MX6vA4

Dreams and Shadows by Riverbed Theatre & Formosa Circus Art

Drawing from writings by Freud and Jung and paintings by the surrealist artists Dali and Magritte, Dreams and Shadows explores the mind and self through the physically wondrous vehicle of the circus arts.

Programme Information: https://reurl.cc/eWGx6Q

Small Island Big Song LIVE

Small Island Big Song, a collaboration of artists from across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, offers a timely musical statement directly from the front lines of the climate crisis. Taiwanese producer BaoBao Chen and Australian music producer/filmmaker Tim Cole spent three years recording and filming on 16 island nations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans with artists of the Austronesian seafaring heritage, who shared songs from island to island. Outcomes include two award-winning albums, a feature film and a world-touring concert. After visiting 17 countries and reaching more than 200,000 people, this internationally acclaimed concert is finally being held in Taiwan.

Programme Information: https://reurl.cc/ymDZE2

Whale Island by La Cie Max Mind & Puppet and Its Double & Shih Ju-fang

Whale Island is a contemporary puppet show and musical driven by the sounds of traditional Nanguan and Beiguan music of Taiwan. Inspired by Taiwan’s geology, Whale Island weaves scientific intrigue into a narrative evoking a modern mythical epic akin to the Chinese classical text Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), and one specific to the Taiwanese experience.

Programme Information: https://reurl.cc/ymDZkO

Legacy by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and Lin Hwai-min

Legacy is a dance legend originally created by legendary Taiwanese choreographer Lin Hwai-min in 1978. This work is an homage to the pioneers who braved a treacherous ocean crossing during the 17th century to settle in Taiwan. The work has been presented worldwide in 174 performances and is heralded around the world as a masterpiece of choreography. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Legacy returns to NTCH and the production will be directed by Lin Hwai-min himself.

Programme Information: https://reurl.cc/mZxMWl

International Performances

Other notable performances in TIFA 2023’s programme include: Revisor by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young, the winner of the 2022 Laurence Olivier Award. Le Bal de Paris by Blanca Li, the winner of the Lion Award for the best VR experience at the Venice Film Festival in 2021. A 24-Decade History of Popular Music by Tony Award-nominated playwright, Taylor Mac. Dans la mesure de l’impossible by incumbent director of the Festival d’Avignon, Tiago Rodrigues and Comédie de Genève. Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep by avant-garde music legend Margaret Leng Tan. The Hamartia Trilogy, a work by Korean artist Jaha Koo that is produced by CAMPO arts centre in Belgium.