Taiwanese performers did exceptionally well at this year’s Avignon Off art festival, the Council of Cultural Affairs said Aug. 18.
The four performance troupes representing Taiwan at Avignon—M.O.V.E. Theatre Group, Scarecrow Contemporary Dance Company, Ten-Drum Art Percussion Group and WCdance—sold over 80 percent of their tickets, with some performances completely sold out, the CCA said.
“This marks Taiwan’s best performance at Avignon since it began participating in the festival five years ago,” CCA Minister Emile Chih-jen Sheng said at a news conference.
“The M.O.V.E. Theatre Group’s show ‘1:0’ was even selected by French newspaper Le Figaro as one of the five must-sees at this year’s Avignon Off,” he added.
The performances also provided meeting opportunities for curators and artists. According to the CCA, around 235 professional art festival organizers attended the performances by Taiwanese groups.
The Ten-Drum Art Percussion Group, following last year’s Avignon Off success, was invited by show organizers this year to perform at an art festival at Perigueux running Aug. 4 to 6, the CCA said.
Founded in 1947, the Avignon Festival is considered one of the most prestigious art events in France. This year’s program boasted 969 groups from 94 countries, attracting over 150,000 art lovers from around the globe, sources said.
The “Off” section of the festival was introduced in 1968 to incorporate avant-garde and spontaneous performances in informal venues such as theater schools, streets and restaurants. This year’s Avignon Off ran from July 8 to 31. (HZW)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw