Cantonese Opera has long been lauded as a unique art form that blends Chinese traditional values and culture, music, and drama into an exhilarating performance.

Since 2019, The D. H. Chen Foundation has partnered with West Kowloon Cultural District to develop “West Kowloon Tea House Student Matinees” at the Xiqu Centre, aiming to promote and nurture Chinese cultural intelligence and values among the younger generation through Cantonese opera. With its resounding success and overwhelming demand, this stimulating and cross-disciplinary scheme has been extended until 2026, and renamed the “Tea House Student Matinees Scheme” (粵目賞心 — 茶館劇場教育專場計劃), now welcoming primary school students as well.

The latest edition continues to offer an immersive experience of Cantonese opera appreciation, accompanied by a series of creative experiential learning activities. These activities include narrative performances, participatory acts led by facilitators, and post-performance appreciation workshops. By engaging in these captivating activities, students are afforded the opportunity to explore compassion-based values through this exquisite Chinese art form.

As for teachers, they are provided with comprehensive capacity-building opportunities and teaching resources to support student learning, while the School Partnership Program also facilitates deeper engagement and offers reflective and transformative learning experiences. Selected primary and secondary schools will also collaborate with accomplished artists to co-create customized, school-based learning experiences.

With the extension of this initiative, the Foundation believes that it continues to be an unconventional pathway for young individuals to experience and cultivate compassion-based values beyond the confines of traditional classroom education.

For more information on the Student Matinees, please visit https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/studentmatinees.