【Epoch Times, January 20, 2025】From January 14th to 16th, four representatives from Taiwan’s performing arts groups, with the support of the Taipei Cultural Center in New York City, participated in the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) New York Annual Conference. Over the course of three days, they presented new project plans, shared insights into the performing arts, gained an understanding of different cultural communities, and aimed to facilitate exchange and collaboration among international performing arts groups.
On the 17th, the four representatives held a press conference at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York to share their experiences and accomplishments from attending the 2025 ISPA Annual Conference, as well as their observations on the performing arts industry in Taiwan and the United States.
The Taiwanese delegation at the conference included independent arts manager Hsu Tzu-yin, Island Big Songs founder Chen Wen-chen, Foca Formosa Circus founder Lin Chih-wei, and Rejected Theatre producer Lo Yin-ju. These individuals from various fields in the arts participated in the three-year ISPA Taiwan Partners Program to build their network on the international stage.
Chen Hui-chun, Director of the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, emphasized that the core of these projects lies in “laying more paths for artists to go further.” Hsu Tzu-yin mentioned that participating in the program made her realize the importance of understanding global trends and the indispensable nature of networking, all of which lay the groundwork for Taiwan’s arts to step onto the international stage.
Lo Yin-ju of Rejected Theatre described her first participation in the ISPA Annual Conference as a “shocking education,” highlighting the challenges Taiwanese dramatic works face in terms of language and culture in the realm of performing arts. However, she also felt the support and resonance of fellow artists with similar backgrounds, forming a deep connection that helped her reassess her creative and managerial direction.
Lin Chih-wei shared that as the head of the Foca Formosa Circus, he has mainly operated the troupe as a behind-the-scenes manager for the past decade. This year’s conference allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of international trends and the importance of sustainable management. He stressed that such long-term exchanges not only establish potential collaborations in the present but also lay the foundation for future development.
Looking back on her three-year journey of participation, Chen Wen-chen shared the results of establishing long-term relationships with international performing arts groups through the ISPA platform. She mentioned that a festival curator from the Netherlands she met at ISPA in 2023 reconnected with her in 2025 after seeing her proposal, ultimately leading to a collaboration and invitation performance project between the two sides.
Both Chen Wen-chen and Hsu Tzu-yin, who participated in the ISPA, emphasized that international exhibitions are not only opportunities to expand networks but also platforms to understand new global trends in the arts industry. Hsu Tzu-yin pointed out that in recent years, sustainability, environmental protection, and cross-cultural exchange have become focal points for arts institutions worldwide. Taiwanese performing arts groups can offer unique perspectives on these issues, attracting the attention of international curators. ◇