World Association for Performing Arts set up in Beijing

The World Association for Performing Arts was inaugurated at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Monday, joined by 30 art organizations from 19 countries.

Initiated by the NCPA, the World Association for Performing Arts is a nonprofit, professional international organization headquartered in Beijing, with its secretariat located at the NCPA.

At the 2019 Beijing Forum for Performing Arts, the NCPA proposed establishing an exchange and cooperation mechanism for international performing arts organizations.

In the following years, member organizations have been involved in collaborative projects in fields such as art creation, art popularization, exchange visits and international forums.

Wang Ning, chairperson of WAPA and president of the NCPA, said in a speech at the inauguration ceremony that the NCPA is dedicated to promoting cultural exchange and fostering mutual understanding among people around the world.

"As the initiating institution of WAPA, the NCPA will continue, along with global art institutions, to fully support the development of the association and organize high-quality events," Wang said.

He proposed three aspects for the association's future agenda — to deepen communication and collaboration among the association's member organizations, to enhance the accessibility of symphonic music education and resources, and to provide a platform for young emerging musical talent.

Rory Jeffes, a council member of WAPA and international engagement adviser for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, said: "WAPA is the opportunity for us across the whole world to be able to bridge divides and to share the common humanity that brings us all together.

"We are very excited about, not just the achievements of the past few years, but all that will be achieved in the coming years. This is a very significant event for the world, and it is something we are all very excited to be a part of."

In tandem with the inauguration ceremony, the 2023 Beijing Forum for Symphonic Music kicked off, as a major forum event within the framework of WAPA and themed "Reaching for Innovation, Sharing for Prosperity".

On Monday and Tuesday, more than 300 representatives from 187 international art organizations, spanning 30 countries and regions, are joining discussions on the topics of music education and popularization, the contemporary development of symphonic music, and the establishment of a platform for collaborative art creation.

Wang Ning, along with the president of the Central Conservatory of Music Yu Feng, founder and director of Verbier Festival in Switzerland Martin Engstroem, as well as other representatives from international orchestras and music festivals gave keynote speeches on the first day.

At the forum's closing ceremony on Tuesday, the "Beijing Consensus" will be released, with the aim to collectively advance global symphonic music and promote cultural exchanges.