Paper Windmill Theatre (Chinese: 紙風車劇團; pinyin: zhǐfēng chējù tuán) is a Taiwanese performance group with a primary focus on children's theater. Established in November 1992, the group's performances encompass various forms, including theater, musicals, mime, puppetry, and black light theater.
History
editIn 1992, Lee Yung-Feng, along with Ko I-Chen, Hsu Li-Kong, Lo Pei-An, and Wu Jing-Ji, founded the Paper Windmill Theater based on the belief that "children need their own theater, and Taiwan requires its unique children's theater."[1] The name "Paper Windmill" represents their ethos of "Let the wind blow and walk forward facing the wind." This philosophy guides their primary focus on organizing cultural events and theatrical performances that enhance children's education and provide entertainment.[2] They have also expanded to various locations, including New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing, Hungary, and more, in addition to performing regularly in theaters across Taiwan.[3]
In 1995, the Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan, commissioned Paper Windmill for a ten-year "Youth Drama Promotion Program." They visited junior and senior high schools across the country, promoting drama through curriculum development, lectures, and helping to establish drama clubs.[4] Starting in 1999, they organized six editions of the "Super King Lan Ling" drama competition, attracting young participants. Some students who competed in the competition found inspiration in the drama and pursued careers as performers or in arts administration.[5]
Since 1996, Paper Windmill used the Chinese zodiac as a theme for the plays. They created works based on the zodiac animal of each year, such as "Catch the Mouse" in the Year of the Rat and "Run, Little Pig" in the Year of the Pig.[6]
In 1998, Paper Windmill introduced the "Witch Series," featuring "Wu Ding (Chinese: 巫頂)" as a significant character in "Windmill Fantasia." Their performances included various forms like plays, musicals, and puppetry, emphasizing live interaction.[3] They often break the fourth wall using props and storyline design. On February 20 of the same year, they registered as "The Paper Windmill Arts and Educational Foundation" with the Department of Cultural Affairs, New Taipei City Government.[7]
In 2006, Paper windmill launched the "Arts for Children in 319 Townships Project," funded by private donations. This initiative involved providing performances for children in all 319 townships nationwide.[8] The project spanned five years, becoming the first cultural movement recognized by UNESCO.[9] In 2013, they once again launched the "Arts for Children in 368 Townships Project" touring program.[10]
In 2010, Paper Windmill created "new Taiwanese fairy tales," crafting stories with native Taiwanese themes. Inspired by the illustrated book "寶莉回家" by author Hsiao Yeh, they produced the first Hakka children's musical titled "Hey! Little Boy (Chinese: 嘿！阿弟牯)."[11]
From 2013 to 2023, Paper Windmill received continuous funding for 11 years through the Ministry of Culture's "Taiwan Brand Project," leading to their recognition as one of Taiwan's brand teams.[12]
References
edit- ^ Hsiao, Shu-chun (2009). "孩子的第一哩路－紙風車319鄉村兒童藝術工程之研究" [First mile Kid's smile -- Research on the Art Project for Children in 319 Townships]. Institute of Non-Profit Management thesis. Nanhua University.
- ^ Zhang, Wenhui; Huang, Tinglun (2012). "Discussing the Value of Children's Performing Art Troupe: A Case Study of ingfisher Children's Action Drama". Modern Taohuayuan Journal (2): 29-46.
- ^ a b Ling-Yuan, Yang. "Tripping the Black Light Fantastic--The Paper Windmill Theatre". Taiwan Panorama. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ^ Chen, Marlene. "Creativity Unlimited-- Theater for the Teen Scene". Taiwan Panorama.
- ^ Yu, Hsu Lin. "青少年戲劇中流行文化與創意之關係探究－以超級蘭陵王為例" [Exploration on the Relationship between Popular Culture and Creativity in Youth Theatre--- A Cast Study of 「Super King Lan Ling」]. Department of Drama Creation and Application thesis. National University of Tainan.
- ^ Hsiao, Wen-Wen (2007). "兒童劇團產業經營策略研究—以紙風車劇團為例" [A Study of Business Strategies in Children's Theatre：The Case of Paperwindmill Theatre]. Department of Industrial Design thesis. Huafan University.
- ^ "新北市政府輔導立案文化藝術基金會". Department of Cultural Affairs, New Taipei City Government. 2023-04-27.
- ^ Lee, Vito. "Paper Windmill Theatre Rides Again!". Taiwan Panorama.
- ^ "Paper Windmill's five-year-long tour comes to an end". Taipei Times. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ^ Chen, Yi-Shan. "從藝術下鄉到文化運動：紙風車319鄉村兒童藝術工程的意義形塑與民眾參與". Master of Social Science thesis. Tsinghua University.
- ^ "Eye-catching Hakka theatre 'Rain Horse' meets young audience in Taipei". Hakka Affairs Council.
- ^ "文化部獎補助資訊網". Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 2023-11-24.