Puxian Opera is a national intangible cultural heritage. [Photo/Fujian Puxian Theater]

The National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and the Putian Municipal People's Government have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to tackle challenges in preserving and transmitting Puxian Opera, one of China's oldest opera forms, aiming to establish a comprehensive talent development and practice base and create a seamless "secondary vocational to undergraduate" training system to ensure the high-quality continuation of this ancient art form.

Puxian Opera, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006, faces the challenges such as generational transmission gaps, declining audiences, and the weakening use of dialects. These issues have led to a shortage of high-level professionals in areas such as scriptwriting, directing, performance, composition, stage design, and orchestral performance, hindering sustainable development.

This collaboration focuses on cultivating high-level talents for Puxian Opera, with the Putian Art School and the Performance Department of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a teaching practice base. This year, they plan to launch the first-ever full-time Puxian Opera undergraduate program, bridging the gap between scarce and advanced professional talents.

Ten students will be recruited, including high school graduates, vocational school students, and current troupe members, for a four-year split-campus program combining coursework and practice.

The partnership also advances the development of Puxian Opera teaching materials, with local veteran artists compiling sample textbooks and systematically organizing the educational content.

This agreement marks a significant step in promoting the living heritage of Puxian Opera and enhancing the training of opera talents, signifying a new phase in university-government collaboration.