Opening ceremony of the 8th Asia Theatre Education Centre (ATEC) Forum 2013

尊敬的亚洲戏剧教育研究中心理事长徐翔先生，
尊敬的本届论坛承办单位、南洋艺术学院院长朱添寿先生，
尊敬的各位亚洲戏剧教育研究中心理事、成员院校代表、戏剧专家、学者和教授，   
各位来宾，女士们、先生们
大家傍晚好！

1. 很荣幸今天能够与来自世界各地的戏剧界专家、学者和教授聚首，共同探讨“经典剧本的当代演出及其与戏剧院校的训练和实践的关系”这一课题。  

2. 近年来，亚洲经济迅速崛起，也带动了亚洲各国文化艺术的繁荣和发展。亚洲美术家的作品在拍卖会上屡创新高，亚洲电影在世界电影节上屡获殊荣，这些都显示了大众对于亚洲艺术的认知和鉴赏水平的提高。这与艺术家和艺术团体的积极推动和努力是分不开的。   

3. 在这个亚洲经济及文化艺术蓬勃发展的大好环境下，八年前创立的亚洲戏剧教育研究中心，可说是一项高瞻远瞩的创举。亚洲戏剧教育研究中心自成立以来，在促进亚洲各国戏剧教育研究的交流和发展方面，付出了极大努力，成绩斐然。一年一度的亚洲戏剧教育研究国际论坛给世界各地的戏剧专家和学者提供了一个交流的平台，探讨当今戏剧教育所面对的关键问题，寻求突破和进一步发展。本届论坛在新加坡南洋艺术学院举办，有助于提高世界对于新加坡戏剧的认识和理解，意义深远。  

4. 我希望大家能从这个论坛会中吸取更多知识，再把学习到的知识运用在推广戏剧文化上，让戏剧再创辉煌。最后，我祝愿本届论坛硕果累累！希望我们国外来的朋友能在新加坡度过愉快的三天。并祝愿所有嘉宾们身体健康、心想事成!

5. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me now say a few words in English. I am very happy to join you today at the 8th Asia Theatre Education Centre (ATEC) Forum 2013 Opening Ceremony. It is an honour to host this year's ATEC, which is also the first outside of China, and I hope that this will be a fruitful time of discussion and learning for all.
   

6. It is a testament of the Asia Theatre Education Centre (ATEC)'s success in fostering exchanges across nations that some of the participants in this Forum are non-Chinese speakers.
   

7. In Singapore, theatre education plays a crucial role in raising the standards of our local theatre scene. We believe in continuously honing our theatre practitioners' skills, to create works of ever higher quality and push the boundaries of theatrical development. Yet, theatre itself has no life if there is no audience, and so we encourage our theatre practitioners to create works that resonate with the people. We also encourage our theatre companies to engage the community and cultivate a love for theatre among the public. We fully understand the importance of nurturing the next generation of practitioners and audiences. Hence, we support the training of aspiring theatre professionals, as well as theatre educators to teach theatre to mainstream students. Theatre education, which ATEC champions, plays a critical role in all of the above.

8. Theatre has thrived through the ages, because it resonates with the people. It does so because it springs from life – reflecting life, critiquing life, and expressing our hopes for life. However, with modernisation, the lives depicted by classical theatre have become vastly different from modern-day life. Today's audiences can no longer identify with the background, language and lifestyles of the classic setting. In this modern age, how do we enable audiences and theatre students to appreciate an era which they did not experience? This is a profound question, but I believe that this Forum will bring us one step closer to finding the answer.
   

9. In conclusion, I hope that all of you will find this Forum a great learning opportunity, and I wish this event and everyone present here every success!

10. Thank you!