In order to eliminate invisible barriers between the various components of site-specific performance industry, to promote communication and interaction between producers, creators, performers and observers, and to share the experiences that domestic and international practitioners gained in the development of site-specific performance industry, so as to explore more opportunities for future cooperation, Shekou Theatre Festival has set up the International Forum section since 2023. Building on last year's topic of ‘Envisioning Site-Specific Performance’, the Forum will focus on immersive performing arts industry for more in-depth discussions in this year.

Whether ‘immersive theatre’ originated in London or on Broadway(New York) remains an academic question, but this new form of performing arts, which has only been in existence for a few decades, has already blossomed in China's offline entertainment and consumer scene rapidly. From the introduction of globally renowned IPs, to large-scale tourism performances developed in-house, to small-scale immersive performances in office buildings, as well as a variety of immersive performances transformed from script murder or other forms of activities, the ‘immersive performing arts’ that brings a sense of freshness and emotional value to the audience in the era of ‘experience economy’ seems to be a new universal key that is being used to open the door to a new world where culture, business and tourism are combined.

How do we define ‘immersive performing arts’? Or how do we expand and update the meaning and scope of ‘immersive performing arts’? Theatre practitioners and other collaborators are exploring and practicing in different directions in the grand experimental arena of China. This year's Shekou Theatre Festival International Forum will gather relevant industry elites, scholars and medias to analyze case studies and interpret methodologies through the main forum and roundtable talks, and to study and predict the present and future of immersive performing arts in China from a macroscopic perspective.

Chair:

Crystal D. Independent Theatre Critic/ Arts Festival Organizer/ Scholar

Guests:

Philip CHAN Director (Macao) | Producer | Teacher, School of Theatre of Macao Conservatory

Bernice CHAN General Manager, International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong)

CHEN Tian Drama Specialist, School of Liberal Arts, Nanjing University

Conor DOYLE Director (UK), 'Sleep No More' | Founder & Artistic Director, One Hundred

JI Xiang PhD in Audiological Arts | Lecturer, Sound School of Beijing Film Academy

Pipi KAO Co-founder, Pi Studio (Shanghai)

Ray LEE Composer (UK) | Professor, Oxford Brookes University

LI Jia Producer | General Manager, Focustage (Changsha)

LI Jia Deputy General Manager, Mahua FunAge (South China)

LI Qian Dean & Professor & PhD Tutor, Department of Theatre Management of the Central Academy

LI Yan General Manager, 1862 Fashion Artistic Center (Shanghai)

LI Zicheng Founder, Zhuama Drama & Drama World (Shenzhen)

LIN Jie Associate Researcher, Cultural Industry of China National Academy of Arts

LIU Xiaoyi Artistic Director, Emergency Stairs (Singapore）

LUO Qiong Curator | Director | Artistic Director & Founder, Self-Media 'Yi Wen Li'

Matt RUNHAM Founder, Tiny Dragon (UK) | Producer

Roy Szeto Director (Hong Kong ) | Scriptwriter | Jury Member of 2024STF

SONG Zhige PhD in Fine Arts | Deputy Dean & Associate Professor, Arts Management and Cultural Exchange Department of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts

WENG Shihui Founder, Tempest Projects (Shanghai)

YANG Xiaoluan Manager, Self-Media 'Theatre Go Round'

YU Rongjun Dramatist | National Level Scriptwriter | PhD in Fine Arts | Vice President, SMG LIVE | Artistic Director, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center

YUAN Hong Observer of 2024STF | Independent Producer | Arts Festival Organizer

ZHAO Nali Member, China Film Art Direction Academy | Film & Stage Art Director | Crossover Artist

Host:

CHANG Hsien Ching Director, Performing Arts Connection Department of China Merchants Culture Industry

Jason SUN General Manager, China Merchants Culture Industry

（listed alphabetically by last name)