A proposed model of transmission of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong higher education: From oral tradition to conservatoire

Abstract

Transmission of traditional art forms in the modern world has been a major issue in the field of arts education. Different issues have been raised on how to preserve the traditional art forms for further development. Cantonese opera is a representative Chinese opera popular in south China including Hong Kong. However, the genre has been experienced fluctuation since 1950s with the difficulties of transmission through oral tradition to conservatory tradition. While the Hong Kong Government promotes the genre to reserve the cultural tradition, great masters have been fading out and younger generation encounters difficulties in inheriting the genre. This article reports parts of a large-scale study on the nature and characteristics of oral tradition, learning in community settings, conservatory tradition, and proposes a model of transmission of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong. The model may shed light on preserving, inheriting, and further developing traditional performing arts in the modern world.