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| Project Details |
| Funding Scheme : | General Research Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Number : | 842811 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(English) : | Transmission and pedagogical models in Cantonese Opera: A study of the Chinese oral and the Western conservatory traditions in Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(Chinese) : | 粵劇傳承和教學模式：中國口授傳統及西方學院傳統在香港 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(English) : | Prof Leung, Bo Wah | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(Chinese) : | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Department : | Department of Cultural and Creative Arts | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Institution : | The Education University of Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||||||
| E-mail Address : | bwleung@eduhk.hk | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tel : | 29487063 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Co - Investigator(s) : |
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| Panel : | Humanities, Social Sciences | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Area : | Education | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise Year : | 2011 / 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Approved : | 680,174 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Status : | Completed | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Completion Date : | 31-7-2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Objectives : |
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| Abstract as per original application (English/Chinese): |
Cantonese opera is facing a crisis of transmission. Traditionally, Cantonese opera employs oral tradition in transmitting their artistry to the new generation. Learning occurs in a master-apprentice relationship, wherein apprentices serve as followers of the master to develop personal artistry through informal tuition. Apart from artistry, the apprentice will learn about the socio-cultural context of the genre through long-term immersion during the apprenticeship.
In recent decades, training artists for the profession has been influenced by the Western conservatory tradition. Different aspects of the genre are taught by different specialists during a limited length of time. Learning is limited to knowledge and skills instead of socio-cultural practices and creativity in artistry, which take time and a specific context to learn.
Teaching Cantonese opera in Hong Kong schools has been encouraged to promote the Chinese culture. However, major problems include the lack of systematic pedagogy. Thus, this study addresses the issue of transmission of Cantonese opera in professional training as well as in school education.
This 20-month study will adopt a mixed-method approach in three phases. In Phase One, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with five artists with backgrounds in oral tradition and five artists trained in conservatories. Researchers will also undertake research visits to institutions of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province to interview teachers and students after class observations and seek their views on the characteristics of their training programs. The findings will help in formulating pedagogy models of oral and conservatory traditions to provide a theoretical framework for the next phase.
Phase Two will be a multi-case study that investigates the teaching effectiveness of tutors with both pedagogy models in two primary and two secondary schools with Cantonese opera programs. The researchers will observe the classes, collect program documents, and interview school teachers, Cantonese opera tutors, and students about the pedagogy and learning process. Video recording of the teaching and learning process will be undertaken for repeated observation, analysis, and triangulation with the interviews. A questionnaire on how students perceive the pedagogy will also be administered to all participating students.
Based on the findings from previous phases, a new pedagogy model for the teaching and learning of Cantonese opera in nurturing artists from school to professional levels will be developed in Phase Three. The model will shed light on developing a new pedagogy system for nurturing professional artists of Cantonese opera with personal styles and artistic creativity. 粵劇現正面對傳承方面的危機。傳統上，粵劇界以口傳心授的方式把藝術傳授予新一代。學員在一個師徒關係中學習，他們透過非正式學習模式，以學徒的身份侍候師傅，得以學習個人的藝術。此外，學徒亦透過長期的沉浸學到粵劇的社會文化背景。 近數十年，粵劇在訓練專業演員方面受到西方學院傳統之影響，其中，粵劇的各個層面由不同的專家作有限時間的教習，因此學習只限於知識與技能，而粵劇的社會文化實踐和藝術創意等需要較長時間和特定環境才能培養和發展的層面往往被忽略。 香港學校教育現正鼓勵教習粵劇以推動中國文化傳統；然而，主要問題是學校缺乏有系統的教學法。因此，本研究計劃針對粵劇傳承的問題，並擬為專業訓練和學校教育兩方面著手。 這個歷時二十月的計劃將採用一個分三階段的混合研究方法。第一階段將運用半結構性訪談方式訪問五位以口授傳統方式學習的藝人和五位以學院傳統方式學習的藝人；另外，我們亦將訪問本港和廣東的粵劇學校，透過課堂觀察和訪問教師和學生以探究他們對課程特色的觀點。研究結果將有助建構口授傳統和學院傳統的教學法模式以提供一個理念架構作下一階段之研究。 第二階段是一個多個案研究，調查兩間中學和兩間小學的粵劇導師以兩種不同傳統教授學生的有效性。我們將觀察課堂，蒐集課程文件，和訪問教師、粵劇導師和學生有關教學法和學習過程。另外，我們將攝錄教學過程以便我們可重複觀察和分析，並以訪談作為三角測定；再以問卷調查學生對教學發有何觀感。 第三階段將建基於以上的研究結果，並發展出一個粵劇教學模式以培養學生以至專業學員。該教學模式將為培養具個人藝術風格和創意的教學系統提供參考。 |
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| Realisation of objectives: | 1. The Chinese oral tradition was documented by interviewing five master artists with apprenticeship background. Their experiences, beliefs, learning processes and pedagogical practices were investigated and documented in a journal article which has been accepted. For the Western conservatory tradition, we have visited the Guangdong Cantonese Opera School, and also the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for data collection. The former allowed us to observe class teaching and interview staff and students. However, the latter did not respond to our request of visit officially. We could only interview the Acting Dean of the School of Chinese Theatre, Professor Chan Sau Yan with an informal observation of one singing class. In general, objective 1 has been well achieved. 2. Characteristics of both oral and conservatory traditions have been investigated and identified. The Legitimate Peripheral Participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991) as a model of oral tradition was applied as a theoretical framework for the study. Findings not only echo but also supplement the framework. The conservatory tradition was examined by the concepts of formal learning, informal learning and non-formal learning. 3. One primary and one secondary school were invited for a cross-case study to investigate the current situation and pedagogy employed by Cantonese opera artists, who intended to teach the school children with their personal experiences learnt from conservatory tradition. Teaching effectiveness is found when the curriculum is highly compartmentalized. In addition, it is found that many school students participated in some children troupes in the community; we thus further invited two children troupes for another case study to investigate the pedagogy issues. 4. After compiling all the findings from the different sources, a Model of Transmission of Cantonese opera has been built with different key concepts and elements that are regarded to be important. This study generates this model as the ultimate output so as to shed light on how the new generation of artists can be nurtured from the school level to the professional level, with reference to the traditional practice found in the oral tradition and community settings. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary of objectives addressed: |
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| Research Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Major findings and research outcome: | The interview study of the master artists on the Chinese oral tradition found that the parent-like relationship between the master and the apprentice was critical in successful transmission of personal artistry; the master transmit his artistry mainly for prolongation of personal style. Informal learning was the major learning mode where the apprentice relied on observation, imitation, trial-and-error on stage, and proactive inquiry with his own and other masters (Leung, in press). The case study of two institutes nurturing Cantonese opera artists reveals the application of Western conservatory tradition in Cantonese opera, which is characterized by highly specialization of teaching with specific experts in different areas; learners are required to learn industriously with a regular and focused curriculum in a lengthy immersion of learning and self-practice. Formal and standardized learning was found that each aspect was divided into different developmental learning stages. Graduation from the institute implies that graduates can face the challenges of professional requirements. The case study of two local schools which offer Cantonese opera in the co-curricular activity and formal curriculum reveals that the tutors employ a compartmentalized curriculum with their own learning experiences as the basis of pedagogy, and voluntary students are more motivated in learning when they find it interesting and discretional to learn. Only a few students would like to pursue professional practice in their future. The secondary students tend not to pursue professional practice than the primary students. The research team further explored the pedagogy issues in two children troupes in the community setting where students learn the genre as an extra-curricular activity. Findings reveal that, similarly, tutors tend to employ their learning experiences in their teaching in a highly compartmentalized curriculum. Non-formal learning was the main characteristic that no predetermined learning targets were set, and students learn by doing and practices. Compiling the findings, a Model of Transmission of Cantonese Opera has been proposed with strengths and advantages from the different modes. Facing the modernization and globalization, the oral tradition has faded out from the practice while the conservatory tradition is and will be the main stream for nurturing professional artists. Four main elements are identified as crucial in the model: curriculum, teachers, students, and internship. The institute must collaborate with the professional field of Cantonese opera for early immersion of learners, while a graduate school should be included for research on theory and practice, as well as nurturing teachers for sustainability. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Potential for further development of the research and the proposed course of action: |
Creativity of Cantonese opera has been identified by this study when one of the master artists mentioned that personal style can be developed in three developmental stages: inheritance, development, and innovation. Transmission with oral tradition may generate artistic creativity when informal and non-formal learning were applied so that more space for personal development was allowed. Since the oral tradition has been faded out, it might be difficult for the new generation to develop their personal style within the limitation of the conservatory curriculum where benchmarking is emphasized. The issue of how personal style can be nurtured in the conservatory tradition should be further studied. Since the findings are considered to be useful for the field of Cantonese opera, the PI plans to organize a public seminar to disseminate the findings. Stakeholders including the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, Cantonese Opera Development Fund, local academics, and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts will be invited to discuss the findings. We hope that the project can inform the field of Cantonese opera in contributing to successful transmission in the conservatory mode. Details of how students are taught for quality learning within and outside the classroom could be further studied. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Layman's Summary of Completion Report: | This study investigates the nature and characteristics of two main transmission modes of Cantonese opera, namely, oral and conservatory traditions. In addition, transmission in formal curriculum and co-curriculum in primary and secondary schools, as well as children troupes in the community are also studied. A model of transmission of Cantonese opera has been proposed for reference of different stakeholders, including Cantonese opera institutes, professional and practicing artists from the field, the schools which offer Cantonese opera in their formal curriculum and co-curriculum, and the children troupes in the community. Nurturing creative artists effectively relies on the collaboration among the stakeholders aforementioned. For instance, practicing artists should be responsible for collaborating with the institutes in providing internship for professional students, while teaching artists should consider refining the pedagogy in teaching primary and secondary students. Informal learning, non-formal learning should be introduced to the curriculum of the institute so that students may immerse into the practices in a lengthy period of time. Hong Kong Government may refer to the model when formulating and implementing their policy concerning transmission of Cantonese opera which has been identified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Research Output | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Peer-reviewed journal publication(s) arising directly from this research project : (* denotes the corresponding author) |
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| Recognized international conference(s) in which paper(s) related to this research project was/were delivered : |
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| Other impact (e.g. award of patents or prizes, collaboration with other research institutions, technology transfer, etc.): |
Based on the project, I was invited by Dr Ng Fung Ping of the University of Hong Kong to act as one of the Academic Consultants of her project titled "Lingnan Musical Heritage: Transmission of the Eight Master Pieces of Cantonese Opera Pieces" (嶺南餘韻：八大曲研究及傳承計劃). I was invited by the HKCAAVQ to join the Panel of Accreditation Exercise for the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, combined programme validation for Programme Revalidation of Advanced Diploma / Advanced Certificate / Diploma / Certificate in Cantonese Opera in April 2013. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| SCREEN ID: SCRRM00542 |