Chinese Artists Learning Marketing Tools

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 30, 2001

Chinese Artists Learning Marketing Tools

The Chinese art market must play by international rules, since many Chinese troupes don't know how to protect themselves financially. They often see their performances in other countries as a duty to promote cultural communications, and therefore charge next to nothing for tickets and travel costs.

A debt-ridden Chinese troupe of folk musicians has received offers to perform from seven foreign and domestic organizations at the third China Shanghai International Art Festival.

DBA corporation of the United States, the 1988 Seoul Olympics sponsor, has shown great interest in the drum troupe from north China's Shanxi Province.

Liao Huiling, in charge of the company's business in China, said, "Folk arts are commodities and worth investment."

The troupe, which has been unable to pay its employees for almost a year, has found a savior in the Shanghai Yalin Culture and Art Co. Ltd., which has successfully introduced the troupe to Shanghai citizens as well as local government.

The company's general manager, Ding Feng, noted that the troupe has performed in many foreign countries such as Denmark and Singapore -- but every foreign show adds to their debt.

"They didn't have a broker or marketing experiences. Once, they staged a performance in Malaysia and accepted local currency which was quickly devaluated. They became so poor that they had to leave their drums in Malaysia to pay for the plane tickets home," Ding said.

The Chinese art market must play by international rules, Ding said, adding that many Chinese troupes don't know how to protect themselves financially. They often see their performances in other countries as a duty to promote cultural communications, and therefore charge next to nothing for tickets and travel costs.

"Foreign troupes, in contrast, charge over a million U.S. dollars when they come to China. It is important that we introduce a system of brokers," Ding emphasized.

Many Chinese artists are beginning to prepare Chinese art to sell in the international market.

Beijing Opera and other Chinese traditional operas have won acclaim worldwide. This art festival introduced such programs as " Chinese Imperial Concubine," adapted from a masterpiece written in the early 1920s.

Along with sales of DVDs and opera-themed stamps, the festival also displayed costumes worn by one of the first Beijing Opera performers, Mei Lanfang, who is a household name in China.

The CEO of the Shanghai art festival, Chen Shenglai, acknowledged that China doesn't have a mature art market.

"We must learn to conform to international and market rules and help form a cultural industry," Chen said.

The month-long art festival, which closes Friday, offered some 130 programs from 26 countries and regions.

Culture, Source of Business in Beijing