| China-Africa Cultural Exchanges
By staff reporter ZHAO YAYUAN
Both China and African countries have long histories and rich, vibrant cultures. Exchanges of art and culture not only enhance friendly economic cooperation between countries, but also set up a bridge for these peoples to engage in pleasurable and useful social congress.
Official cultural and art exchanges between China and Africa date from the mid 1950s. In May 1955, China and Egypt signed the Summary of Talks on Cultural Cooperation Between the Governments of the People's Republic of China and The Arab Republic of Egypt, the first cultural agreement between new China and an African country. Since then the artistic and cultural traffic has become heavy, constantly opening new territory. Evolution in the quantity, scale and form of sharing has been achieved since entering the new century. By 2006, China and her African counterparts had signed 57 cultural agreements and over 100 related plans. More than 30 government-sponsored cultural delegations left China for Africa, and over 130 African delegations were received in return. In 2008, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali and Angola became the latest African partners endorsing cultural agreements and executive plans.
Shift to Large-scale Activities
China has been inviting African art troupes to perform since 2001, for various international art festivals such as "Meet in Beijing." After "Chinese Culture Week" was held in Egypt in 2002, China's Ministry of Culture sent delegations of acrobatics, folk musicians, singers and dancers to East Africa, who, in December 2003, received a warm welcome from the people of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania.
Influenced by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China made the African people the guest of honor at "Meet in Beijing" in 2004. Nine national art troupes and eight governmental cultural delegations were invited to visit and perform that year. Beijing also held three African art exhibitions, and Hunan Province alone organized African art festivals in eight major cities. In the summer of the same year "Bravo, China-Africa – Chinese Cultural Tour of Africa" put on tens of shows in 11 countries including South Africa, Zambia, Congo, Nigeria, Ghana and Mali. In total, they reached 22 African countries or regions, and attracted hundreds of thousands of local people. These two activities were unprecedented in scale for their type. Profoundly influential, they were acclaimed "the Pioneer Undertaking in China-Africa Cultural exchange" and "the Spirited Ground-Breaker" for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. According to African countries, "Meet in Beijing" fully embodied the special relationship between China and Africa, and the "Chinese Cultural Tour of Africa" is seen as the golden key to their understanding of Chinese culture.
It was time provisions were made to increase the number of African cultural workers authorized to come to China for research and creative stimulation. After the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in November 2006, the "African Cultural Visitors' Program" initiated by the Ministry of Culture was brought into FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009). By December 2007, the theme of the plan had become "cultural policy and its enforcement under the market economy." Seventeen senior culture officials from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and seven other African countries participated in this activity, exploring Beijing, Shenzhen and Gansu Province. During the visit, the officials submitted papers on cultural policy and the current situation in their own countries. The plan in 2008 was more detailed, the records including activities like "a round-table conference on cultural policy," "guests become painters-in-residence," and "experts study in China by taking up temporary posts." Accordingly, the personnel mix was extended to artists and experts.
China-Africa cultural exchanges were more active in 2008. Before the Beijing Olympics, in the Great Hall of the People, a large-scale theatrical production and party themed "African Night" showcased joint performances by artists from seven African countries. Later in October, "African Cultures in Focus 2008" in Shenzhen, proved to be an even more grand cultural exchange event, with officials and artists from 25 African countries participating. Taking in the primitive but elegant sculpture, splashy canvasses and rhythmic singing and dancing, Chinese people couldn't help but be impressed by the vivacity of African cultures.
The Boom in Non-governmental Culture Exchange
Although official programs and projects have been the bread and butter of China-Africa culture exchange, in recent years non-governmental and mixed modes of cooperation have encouraged a flowering of new benefits, with provincial or municipal governments, private enterprise and schools getting into the act.
The development of China's cultural industry and its markets has opened the way for provinces and cities to promote their own international cultural exchange, increasing the number of shows and exhibitions introduced to China from Africa via non-governmental channels. In the past five years, more than half the Chinese art troupes visiting Africa were unofficial projects, and nearly half the African art ensembles performing in China were commercial projects. In 2007, supported by some Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese advocates, seven art troupes toured Africa, including Nanjing Little Red Flower Art Troupe and Henan Shaolin Kung Fu Troupe. These 'cultural ambassadors' not only exposed Africans to Chinese art, but also provided a favorable and more personal foil for Chinese enterprises there.
In 2008, the Ministry of Culture ensured that more professional actors and higher quality productions reached African friends, in the form of 181 people in eight provincial art troupes giving 27 performances in various African countries. Besides the popular acrobatics and martial art shows, more diversified Chinese arts like folk dances and music, local operas, and puppet shows have made it to Africa – again, warmly welcomed by the people and the local media.
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