Teaching the stage in a different way
Institute draws on neighboring theater village to provide practical as well as theoretical grounding in contemporary techniques, Li Yingxue reports in Huichang, Jiangxi.
Nestled in Huichang county, Ganzhou city, Jiangxi province, the Huichang Theatre Village is a hub of activity, where the sounds of performances regularly fill the air. Actors, technicians, and eager audiences breathe constant life into the village.
At the entrance to the village is a "dream-making space" that could be described as a talent factory for the theater: the Hesheng Institute of Theatre Technology, which is dedicated to training the next generation of theater professionals.
Founded two years ago by Huichang entrepreneur Wang Mingfu and theater director Stan Lai, the institute was conceived to serve the needs of the village — a cultural project that Lai, who is passionate about modernizing Chinese theater, devised to introduce stage productions to his father's hometown.
The Hesheng Institute is one of the few schools in China focused on career-oriented training in theater technology that offers an educational experience unlike any other. It provides students with academic teaching, as well as hands-on opportunities to engage with productions.
In 2023, the institute welcomed its first cohort of nearly 100 students, and a further 80 last year. It offers a major in stage art design and production, with specializations in stage, lighting, sound and costume design.
The school's president Liao Weihan, who has years of experience in both Chinese and international stage production, has a clear vision: to train top-tier theater talent and contribute to the flourishing of the national theatrical landscape.
